Vampire Academy: Of What's To Come
by ChickRockGuitar
Summary: SPOILERS from the first 4 books. Rose was able to undo Dimitri’s darkness. Once again, the man she loves walks in the light. He’s once again a Dhampir. But what does this mean for the two of them now?
1. Broken

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: BROKEN  
**_"_Watching him in this state, I wondered if I really had done the right thing in changing him back_"_

As a (fanfic) writer, and a huge fan of the series, I thought up this little "what-if" after reading the fourth book "Blood Promise". Book five "Spirit Bound" has yet to come out. I'm not sure where this little story of mine would take place. And once we, the fans, are able to read books five and six, this will probably be irrelevant anyway.

**Points To Acknowledge:  
**Okay, so to save me writing tons of back-story to get to this "what-if" thingy. I will list these points. Go with it. Please read and keep in mind when reading the story.

. Lissa and Christian have made up. As we know they will.  
. Rose, Lissa and Christian have graduated.  
. They, along with Adrian share a house in the Royal Court. They're Housemates.

. In days just past, the four of them freed Victor, and went to find Robert. They found the information they needed to bring Dimitri back. A plan was set up, and by using the means of "Spirit" they set off to hunt down the man Rose loves, before he hunts them.

. Despite setbacks, and overwhelming odds, they did it, they found him. And, between the four of them, they undid Dimitri's darkness. Once again, the man rose loves walks in the light, once again he's a _Dhampir_. But with his soul whole again, he still remembers his short life as a Strigoi. The violent and bloody acts which he committed plague his every thought. Is he strong enough to overcome it? Will Rose be able to help him?

Read on to find out…

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IT HAD BEEN ABOUT FIVE HOURS since we had arrived back at the house. Dimitri remained unconscious throughout the journey. A small part of me was grateful for that. Christian and Adrian, with my help, had half dragged, half carried him up to my room. Then, save for a few wise ass remarks from both of them, they promptly left. I was grateful for that also.

Dimitri had been changed back now for a little over twelve hours. I was still having trouble believing that we'd actually pulled it off. But, here he was, no longer a Strigoi, a Dhampir once again. Lying next to him on my bed, I watched him sleep. Slowly he had regained his normal colour. His pale Strigoi features fading, as if he'd never been one of those evil things at all. But he had, I knew he had, and for as long as I lived, even with him changed back, I'd never be able to forget that. I took in his gorgeous facial features and that dark chin-length hair, which partly hung over his face. This was the man I loved. This was Dimitri. Not Strigoi Dimitri. Dimitri, Dimitri. I silently thanked God for this moment. I seemed to be doing that a hell of a lot lately.

My mind travelled back to late last night. Our plan to change him back had worked, but barely. The change itself had been horrible, it had been painful for me to watch, but even more painful for Dimitri to endure. Robert had said, it was like being reborn, and if we could remember our birth, it was supposed to be painful. I wasn't a hundred percent sure if I believed him; after all, he _was_ crazy. Dimitri had convulsed wildly, he'd cried out, and looked terrified. The change had lasted several minutes, and the four of us, me, Adrian, Christian and Lissa, had to hold him down during that time. It wasn't easy. And seeing the pain he was in, I had wondered if we were doing the right thing. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, and decided that we were.

As I watched Dimitri sleep, I recalled what Robert had said about after the Change. "After it happens, for a while, they don't know who they are. Then their memories come back to them. It's like a tidal wave. It's like remembering your whole life within the space of a few seconds. In the case of your Dimitri, his _Dhampir_ life _and_ his Strigoi life, and that's _not_ a good mix". I wasn't sure what he'd meant by that, 'not a good mix', so I'd asked him. "Think about it" he'd said, "He was, from what Victor has told me, quite the model citizen. Always doing the right thing", he flashed me a grin, "Well, mostly. Not so much when it came to _you_, I suppose". I glared at him; he really was Victor Dashkov's brother. It took all my will power not to punch him in the face.

He continued, "And once he was forcefully turned, he began to kill. He took innocent lives. He behaved in the exact opposite of his old life. When he remembers those evil deeds, well, that's not going comfort him, is it?". Robert sighed, "Moral compass can be such a fickle thing". Robert had been right, it had taken both Adrian and Lissa's healing abilities to calm him down, as well as my own presence. I'd talked to him, I'd try to explain what had happened, how we'd changed him back, but I don't think he took much of it in. He was sort of in a stoic-like state. And kept muttering "No… No… No…" over and over. Maybe he was in shock, I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure, at that point, if he even recognized me. I voiced aloud if perhaps we should render him unconscious, everyone thought it was a good idea. Adrian said he'd oblige, and before I could stop him, he mustered all his strength, and clocked Dimitri hard in the face. I was _not_ amused.

I lightly ran my fingers over Dimitri's hair, careful not to wake him. Robert had told me to not expect much over the first few hours. Then he told me, to expect a wave of emotions. "Every emotion under then sun", he's said. He ticked them off on his fingers, anger, depression, guilt, rage, sadness, disgust, fear, contempt, disgrace, torment, shame. On and on he listed. It lasted for at last two minutes. I didn't know that there were that many emotions for one person to feel. And those he listed were only the negative kind.

Suddenly, he woke. He opened his eyes and I looked straight into them; gorgeous dark brown, with no hint of red looked back into my own. For a moment, nothing was wrong, all of this had never happened. We were back in the cabin, and everything was wonderful. But only for a moment. Then, I saw something else in them. I couldn't quite make out what it was. I opened my mouth to ask if he was okay, but he spoke first. "Rose" he said. Dimitri saying my name was all it took for something to explode inside of me. It had always been that way – even, although I hated to admit it, when he'd been a Strigoi. It was like fire burning inside of me. In a good way. I raised my hand to brush some stray wisps of his hair out of his face, he caught my wrist. "Don't" he told me. His tone wasn't cold, as such, but it wasn't warm either. I swallowed. Why did it remind me so much of how Strigoi Dimitri had spoken to me? He must have sensed my unease, because he added, "Please. Don't". His tone was a little warmer, but not by much.

After a few moments, he let go of my wrist. He sat up, I followed in suit. I watched him scan the room, in that guardian-like way. Then, he stood up, but as he did, he lost his balance. I jumped up to catch him, or at least try. I grabbed hold of his arm, trying to steady him. For a brief moment, he took my weight to help him right himself, but then pulled out of my grasp. He took a clumsy step forward and almost lost his balance again. He would have fallen if I'd not been there to support him. Quickly, he shook me off – again. That hurt. The first time, I thought he was just trying to be the guy that I knew, the one who, if he could help it, didn't ask for help from anyone. Now, I realised, this was not the case. He didn't want me to touch him. There it was, the first emotion: disgust (with himself, not me, I realised). I pushed that to the back of my mind. I'd just got him back, he'd been though a lot, he'd been though hell, (and well, yeah, so had I), so I wasn't about to get angry with him.

I moved a step closer, but as much as I wanted to, I didn't touch him, "You're weak, you should be sitting down. Better yet, _lying_ down". "I'm fine, Roza" he replied, without actually looking at me when he spoke. "Like hell!" I told him, I didn't shout, but I was firm in my words, "You've just been though a traumatic experience. You need to rest". He looked at me briefly, and then turned away. Again, that hurt. Now he didn't want to look at me. I was beginning to realise what Robert had meant. The Dimitri I knew would never act this way. "Come and sit down" I asked him. "No" was all he said. His tone was uneasy. Silence fell between us. Suddenly he made a move towards my bedroom door. But, no way was I about to let him leave. Not in the condition he was in. I caught his arm, "I don't think so, comrade". My own words surprised me. 'Comrade'. I'd not used that word on him in a long while. He tried to shake me off again; it wasn't going to happen this time. The small amount of force that I used, was enough to almost over balance him. In that moment, I realised how weak he really was. I held on to him, half trying to restrain him, and half helping him keep his balance.

"Stop this. Let me leave!" he snapped – very un-Dimitri-like. Another emotion: anger. The words left my mouth before I had time to think about what I was saying, "Yeah? Like you did?". That was the last thing I had meant to say. I knew he didn't need reminding of the awful things he'd done to me in Russia. Good one Rose, I told myself. My words had stopped him dead in his tracks. His expression immediately changed from anger to something else, guilt. "I didn't mean that" I said quietly. A moment passed between us again, then he suddenly jerked his arm free of my grip, and turned to the door. I meant what I said before; no way was I going to let him leave. Reacting fast, I grabbed him by the shoulders, pushed him into the back of the door, and grabbed his arms, holding them fast behind his back. Then using my full body weight I pinned him there. He struggled a little, but he was too weak to fight my strength, I had him well and truly immobilized. And he knew it. I suddenly realised my actions had mirrored his own when he had held me captive at Galina's. And, if I was honest with myself, that freaked me out. He'd been a Strigoi. What was my excuse?

My eyes travelled to the back of his neck, I saw his Molnija marks, and remembered what they'd once meant to him. Maybe they would again one day, but not any time soon, I figured. I took the pressure off him a little. I half expected him to try and move, he didn't. "Okay, so this can go one of two ways" I told him, "We can sit down, and talk. Or—" I came to a halt. There was no 'or'. I didn't have anything to threaten him with. I wasn't going to use any mind games to keep him here. I wasn't that kind of person. And I loved him too much to do that.

"Please, Dimitri" I seemed to be pleading, "Talk to me. Let me help you". He didn't answer me right away. But after a few moments, he spoke, it was almost a whisper, "You can't help me, Rose. Nobody can…". The next emotion: disgrace. Wow, Robert wasn't kidding, was he? Still holding Dimitri fast against the door, I craned my neck to get a better look at his face. My mouth almost dropped open. Ever since I'd known him, I'd never, _never_, seen that look on his face. He looked like he was about to cry. For someone who I'd always regarded so strong and able, even in the face of grave danger and great worry for me, this seemed totally wrong.

I think it was my shock that made me release him. I backed up a step, and he turned to face me. He saw the shock on my face. For a moment, I thought he was going to bolt out of the door, he didn't. Instead he walked over to the end of the bed and sat down. He rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head in his hands. I swallowed and then moved over to him. Kneeling down in front of him, I gently pulled his hands away from his face; he looked up at me, but said nothing. I held his hands in mine, glad that he wasn't pulling away from me. "I'm sorry" he breathed. "For what?" I asked. He swallowed, he was finding this hard. "For everything" he said quietly, "Everything I did to you…". More of Roberts list of emotions shone through. I shook my head, "It doesn't matter" I told him firmly. "It does," he argued, "It does matter, Rose. It matters to me". I didn't know what to say to that. He slightly shook his head, remembering, "The violence, the way I spoke to you… oh god, the feeding…" he looked like he was about to break down as he spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper, "You must have been so scared…" he carried on. I wasn't actually, most of my time at Galena's; I was too high, too happily drugged up on the endorphins of his bites. It sickened me to think I'd let him feed off me day after day. That I had willing become evil Dimitri's blood whore.

I repeated myself, "It doesn't matter" I told him, "It wasn't you". He stood up, pulling out of my grip once again. He sighed and turned to face me, "But it was. At least it was part of me. I was still aware of what I was doing. Even if I had a… different view of the world". I knew this was killing him, I could see it in his eyes. The thought of him hurting me, and others, but especially me, haunted his every thought. He avoided my eyes, "The things I've done… the innocent lives I've taken...". He swallowed, then looked up and our eyes met. "You should have killed me on that Bridge. I wish you had of done". His tone was hard, and almost angry. I didn't like it, and I didn't like his words. "No!" I told him. "Don't talk like that!" a surge of worry ran though me. When I had received his note a few days after 'the bridge incident', I'd been terrified, and at the same time relieved. It meant, I hadn't killed him, in some form he was still alive, and armed with the new information I'd had from Mark, I held on to hope that I could get him back. Which, with the help of my friends, I had done, hadn't I? In that moment, I wasn't so sure. This man standing before me did not seem like the Dimitri I'd grown to love.

He took a step back from me, "I can't stay here" he told me. And before I could stop him, he was at the door, pulling it open and rushing out. So much for his weakened state. Just as his skin had turned from that pale Strigoi colour, back to his normal tan, perhaps his Dhampir strength was coming back also. I wondered if he'd been playing me, like I had him in the Cabin. Had he just pretended to be in a weakened state, or had he in this moment found some inner strength? I bolted after him. "Dimitri, wait!" I shouted. I tailed him along the upstarts landing and down the stairs. How he knew where to go, I had no idea. He didn't seem to be slowing down. He reached the last step as I had made it mid-way down the staircase. He moved past the kitchen, and towards the front door. "Dimitri!" I shouted. He ignored me. He threw open the door as I reached the bottom of the stairs. The sunlight flooded the hallway, and I saw him draw back. It had been the first time he'd been swamped in daylight in a good long while, perhaps he forgot that he'd no longer burst into flames. It only took him a second to recover, and he was out the door. I picked up my pace, if that was possible, and ran after him, "Dimitri! Wait! Dimitri!" I shouted frantically. Behind me I heard movement. I ignored it; Dimitri was my priority at that moment.

My feet hit the grass of our front lawn. Dimitri was making his way across it. I lunged at him, with as much power and speed as I possibly could. It worked, we both hit the ground, I landed on top of him and pinned him there. "I won't let you do this!" I told him, "I won't let you just walk away". He tried to push me off him, with no luck. I looked down at him, into those dark eyes. And then, in typical Rose fashion, I said something stupid, "I love you, and I know you love me". I regretted saying it as soon as the words had left my lips. Yes, I did love him, with all of my heart, hadn't I just proved that these past few months? But, it was a wrong call. Right now, that was the last thing that needed to be said. "This isn't about love" snapped Dimitri. He was right. I think.

He struggled against me again, and this time, he managed to push me away. He quickly picked himself up and we faced each other. "Why won't you let me leave?!" he shouted. There it was, anger again. Dimitri never shouted. He was loosing control. Something he always worked hard at to avoid – unlike me. I stepped towards him, but he backed up. Then, I had no idea how it started, or who pulled the first punch, although, I'd take a wild stab and say it was most likely me, we started to trade blows. This was crazy. It was stupid. Neither of us seemed to be getting many hits on the other, mostly we were just blocking each others blows. It was sloppy, on both our parts. Even more so on Dimitri's. This wasn't like him. He never fought like this. He fought with grace and precision, even when he was a Strigoi. This was something very different. It took me a moment to figure it out. I immediately backed off when I finally did. This was Dimitri fighting in despair.

Breathing hard, he looked at me. For a second, I thought he was going to come at me for round two, but he didn't. The ounce of strength he'd seemed to have recovered was gone again. His face was full of mixed expressions: pain, sorrow, guilt. "Let me leave" he repeated, his voice almost breaking. I shook my head, "No. Not like this". Slowly I took a step towards him, "It's okay…" I told him, softly, "It's going to be okay". I reached out to him again, but again he backed up. "I know you're hurting. But you can get through this". He slightly shook his head, as if to disagree. "You _can_" I told him, firmly. "You can do this, Dimitri. _We_ can do this. _Together_". I didn't really know what I was saying, if I was saying the right thing, if I my words were even having any affect on him, I hoped to God they were. I slowly reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder, "Talk to me" I asked softly. He lightly shook his head. From his expression, he looked on the verge of breaking down. Damn, what could I do to get him to open up to me?

Then, what happened next, stunned me to the core. He broke. He fell to his knees. Tears freely flowed down his face, and sobs escaped his lips. I froze. I didn't know how to react. His anger, I could handle. His violence, his struggling against me, even his words. But this? _This_ I couldn't deal with. I didn't know how. This wasn't an upset Lissa. This was Dimitri. Brave, strong, able Dimitri. The guy, who around school had earned the nickname "god-like". No, I told myself, this I _had_ to deal with. He needed me to deal with it. He'd always been there for me, taken care of me, protected me – arguably, even when he was a monster. Now, I knew, he needed me to be there for him. I dropped down beside him, and wrapped myself around his frame. After a moment, he reached out and held onto my arms, I think it was to stop himself from falling more than anything else. His hold on me tightened slightly as we knelt there. "It's okay… it's okay…" I said, trying to sooth him as he sobbed. I knew I was repeating myself, but, well, I didn't know what else to say.

"Shit…". I heard a shocked voice behind me. I turned my head to face the voice. There in the doorway stood Lissa, Christian and Adrian. All open mouthed at the scene before them. It had been Adrian who'd spoken. Still holding tight onto Dimitri, I just stared at them. No words were spoken between the four of us. We didn't need any, they could see I was in the same state of shock as they were. They'd all known Dimitri as long as I had, well give or take a few months with Adrian. They'd seen him in action, and like me, never in a million years would they have guessed this scene would take place. Dimitri just wasn't that type of person. Or so we'd all thought. Through our bond, I could feel what my best friend was feeling: apart from the obvious shock, she was sad and worried for Dimitri, and worried for me too. I tried to give her a smile, to indicate everything would be okay. I don't know if I managed it. I saw her tap Christian and Adrian on the shoulder. She beckoned them to go back inside, to give Dimitri and me some privacy. Dimitri – I didn't even know if he was aware that the others were watching. Maybe he was in too much pain to care. I don't know how long we stayed like that, ten minutes, thirty minutes, an hour?

Eventually, he let me lead him back inside and up to my room. It was like he was in a complete daze. A part of me was grateful for that, at last he wasn't fighting me. I slowly led him over to the bed. He was exhausted. He was already weak form the change yesterday, and everything that had happened today couldn't have helped. He laid back down, never letting go of my hand as he did so, which meant I had to lie down next to him. As we faced each other, I scanned his face, it was blank, I couldn't read him. But, I thought to myself, when had I ever been able to read him? The old Dimitri usually never gave much away. I wished I knew what he was thinking. If he was thinking anything at all. Watching him in this state, I wondered if I really had done the right thing in changing him back. Would it have been easier on him if I'd killed him when he'd been a Strigoi? At last then, he'd of been at peace. I looked into those perfect dark eyes, except, they weren't perfect right now. He was looking at me, but he wasn't looking _at_ me. His eyes were kind of glazed over, and unfocused. They reminded me of the way Feeders looked. After a while his eyelids seemed to slowly close, and he fell into what I was sure would be a very uneasy asleep. I couldn't sleep myself, I had too much on my mind. I wanted to go and speak to Lissa, but I didn't want to leave Dimitri, so I visited her the only way I could, through the bond.

Though Lissa's eyes, I could see she, Christian and Adrian were sat in the lounge. Lissa sat curled up to Christian on the couch, whilst Adrian slouched in a comfy chair almost opposite them, and surprise, surprise, wine glass in hand. "I just can't imagine Belikov like that" Christian was saying, "It was…" he trailed off, apparently unable to finish his sentence. "He's been though a lot" said Lissa, "Oh, and poor Rose…" her heart was breaking for me. "Yeah. Poor Rose" muttered Adrian, as he took a gulp of wine. He'd mentioned my name, not Dimitri's, but I knew it was a stab at him and not me. His tone wasn't bitter as such, but it was something close to it. Was he still mad at me for rejecting him, and choosing Dimitri? I thought we'd got passed that. Obviously not, I realised. Lissa, I knew, could see this too, she jumped to Dimitri's defence, "Come on, Adrian. Give Dimitri a break, you know, he's been though—" Adrian cut her off, "A lot. I know, you said. I helped bring him back for her, didn't I?". Christian chuckled, "Yeah. And by the way, that was some display of power, man". Adrian waved his hand, brushing it off, "Nah. It was nothing". Nothing? Yeah, right. So why did he almost pass out afterwards? Lissa rolled her eyes. Christian chuckled again, "Sure it wasn't" he said, with a Christian-like grin.

Lissa sighed. Her mind was still on Dimitri. "What do you think we can do to help him? Dimitri, I mean". That was Lissa all over. She always wanted to help others – be it people or animals. It was a huge part of why I loved her. "Well, I guess you guys can heal him" said Christian. "Daily doses of Guardian healing. Oh what fun" said Adrian, dryly, sitting up in his seat. "You wouldn't do that for her?" Lissa asked him, "If that's what she wanted us to do?". Adrian sighed, "You know I would" he told her. Damn, he _was_ still hung up on me. We'd have to have a conversation about that. "_If_ that's what she wanted" he carried on. I thought about it, did I? Did I want that? And more importantly, would Dimitri let them? I decided that I'd heard enough, I knew how they all felt about the situation, so I pulled myself out of Lissa's mind.

I watched Dimitri sleep for a long while. I'm not sure how much of the day passed us. I told myself that I wasn't going to sleep, that I'd watch over him. I still wasn't completely sure that he wasn't going to bolt. But the next thing I knew, I was in one of those luxury guest lounges in the Royal Court. "Hello little Dhampir" said Adrian. Oh great. I _had_ fallen asleep. And Adrian had decided to come and visit me in my dreams. Wonderful. I turned to face him. "Adrian" I offered, in greeting. We walked over to one of the lounge couches and sat down. He turned to me, "How are you?" he asked. He seemed full on concern. Right now, I think I'd have preferred the care-free Adrian, not the serious one. "I'm fine" I told him. "Yeah, and lets have a little bit of _truth_ this time" he replied, obviously not believing me. He wasn't chastising me, but I think he was a little annoyed with my lie. I sighed. "What do you want me to say? I'm dealing. Okay?". I so didn't want to talk about my feelings right now. "If you say so" he replied. I knew he didn't believe me, but maybe something in my tone told him to let it go. I suddenly noticed that he had neither any alcohol or cigarettes on him. How very kind, I thought to myself.

After a few moments, he changed the subject, "So, how's Belikov doing?". I turned sharply towards him, "What? You actually care?" I asked. "Of course I care!" he scoffed, "The guy means a lot to you. So, here's me caring". I sighed again. "He's… not so good. I mean, you saw him on the front lawn". Adrian didn't say anything for a few moments, but soon broke his silence, "He'll be okay. Give him time". My voice was shaky when I replied, "You can't know that, Adrian". Adrian put his arm around me, "Well, he's got you, Rose Hathaway. And _that_ is a big advantage. Besides, I'm sure Lissa and I can work our magic a little". I looked up at him, I was grateful for his words, then I said, "What, giving daily doses of Guardian healing? Oh what fun". He flinched. "Ah. You, er… you heard that then, did you?" he looked embarrassed. Which, if I thought about it, was new for Adrian. I nodded, "Yes, I did". He turned away from me. "So, are we a little jealous, then?" I asked him. He laughed. "Well, you do have a tendency to bring that out in us. And by us, I mean men". Typical Adrian – never answering the question directly. But, his words had made me smile. With all the serious Dimitri stuff happening in the real would, I couldn't remember smiling in a while. I needed that. It felt good.

Suddenly Adrian got up. He sighed, "Well, I think I'd better go" he told me. "Oh. Okay" I said, a little surprised of the shortness of his visit. He gave me one of his goofy smiles, and then he was gone. I jerked awake, and looked over to face Dimitri – except he was no longer lying next to me. I bolted up right, panic surging though me. I scanned the room, and saw him. He stood with his back to me, looking out of the window, into the night. Wow. I had been asleep for a while. I slipped off of the bed, and walked over to him. I touched him gently on the shoulder, he jumped. He hadn't sensed me approaching. Once again, something else that was very un-Dimitri-like. "Sorry…" I said. He turned to face me briefly, then back to the window. I slipped my arm around his back. "Tell me what you're thinking" I asked quietly. Once again, he didn't look at me when he spoke, "Nothing" was all he said. I knew that was a lie.

I took his hand, and led him back across the room. He let me with no fight. Was that progress? We sat back down on the edge of the bed, and somehow I ended up on his lap. I looked into his eyes, pleased to see they were no longer glazed over and unfocused – Just full of sadness. That made my heart ache for him. I cupped my hands around his chin, and then leaned in to kiss him. He didn't pull away, and after a moment he kissed me back. It was gentle, but passionate, not violent and hungry like it had been at Galina's. His lips and skin were warm, not that Strigoi cold. And, there were no fangs. After a few moments, he put his hands on my shoulders and pulled out of the kiss. "I can't" he told me. I knew he wasn't rejecting me as such; he was just in too much pain to, well, make out. I gave him a nod of understanding, and suddenly realised how selfish kissing him had been. And I hated myself for it. A part of me was just so desperate for him. Well, I told myself, I'll just have to wait. What he needs comes first.

After a few moments, he reached up and gently brushed away my hair from the right side of my neck, and slowly traced his fingers from my jawbone down to my collarbone. They were warm, and light on my skin. God, that felt good. I suppressed a moan. This isn't the time for that Rose, I chastised myself. He was deep I thought as he did this. I knew what he was doing, he was remembering. This had been where his Strigoi self had bitten me day after day. The bite marks had long since gone, and physically there was no trace they'd ever been there. Mentally they still were, for both of us. His gaze went from my neck up to my face, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry" he said slowly, in a pained tone. And he was, he meant it with every fibre of his being. I caught his hand in mine, "I know" I told him softly. His face showed that my words hadn't comforted him any. He swallowed, then looked at me, his expression looked as if he wanted to tell me something. After a few moments, he spoke, "I see them, Rose… Their faces…". This was it; finally, _finally_ he was opening up to me, "Every single one of them…" he carried on. I didn't need to ask who he was talking about, I knew – those he'd killed. "I hear their screams as I—" he stopped himself, unable to finish. He closed his eyes, and squeezed them shut, trying to block out the images, I assumed. My heart broke for him. He was in so much pain, and there was nothing I could do to relieve it. I felt helpless. Hearing him talk like this, that old question came back to me, had I really done the right thing in changing him back?

After a moment, he opened them again. "Hey," I said, "I don't care what you say, that wasn't you". He opened his mouth to protest, but I held my fingers gently to his lips. I shook my head, "_It wasn't you_. I've seen you, and I've seen what you became, remember?" I told him, "It wasn't _you_" I repeated firmly. I wasn't sure if he believed my words or not. "We'll get through this. I promise", I carried on. He didn't say anything; he just continued to look at me. "I mean, I know it's not going to be easy. But we _can_ do this. _You_ can do this". He swallowed. "One day at a time, okay?" I told him. He didn't look very convinced. Which was why his words surprised me, "One day at a time" he repeated quietly. I nodded. Then I pulled myself into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. And after a moment he retuned the hug, wrapping his arms around me. "I love you, Roza" he said quietly. God, I'd waited so long to hear those words again. In that moment, it felt like the entire world had faded away, and it was just the two of us. "I love you too" I told him. We stayed in that embrace for long while, neither one of us wanting to let go.

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Please let me know what you think. This is my first VA fiction. Please be kind.

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**EDIT:**  
Hey guys. Thanks for all the kind reviews. I was shocked that so many people liked this. So thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Many of you have asked if I will continue, well, this was always meant to just be a short one-shot type thing, never anything more. So, at the moment, I don't have any plans to continue, but, I may do more VA stories in the future. Thanks again for reading.

**EDIT 2:**  
Okay guys, so I've thought of another few ideas to continue this story – as a lot of you wanted me to. So keep an eye out for part two coming very soon.


	2. Ghosts: Part One

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part One)  
**_"_I hated lying to him, but, I told myself, I was lying to _protect_ him_"_

So, people have asked for my story to continue, well, it was never supposed to be anything more than a one-shot short story. But, that said, another couple of ideas came to me, so here we are. I hope you enjoy.

**Points To Acknowledge:  
**. This takes place perhaps a few weeks after the last story/chapter.

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I BOLTED UPRIGHT WITH A GASP. My eyes darted around the room. With my Dhampir eyesight, through the darkness, I could see that everything seemed fine. Normal. I glanced over to my left, and saw Dimitri's sleeping frame. I gave a sigh of relief. He was safe. It had only been a dream – or rather, a nightmare. It was then that I realized my heart was still beating like crazy, shock still very much running though my body. I lifted my shaking hands to my face, and buried my face in them. I was dripping in sweat as well. Gross.

"Rose?". I jumped, and quickly pulled my hands away from my face. Demitri had woken; he was sitting up, staring at me, looking somewhat concerned. "What is it?" he asked. "Uh… n-nothing" I stammered, trying to avoid eye contact. He saw right through me, "Was it another nightmare?". He was using the tone that told me that he wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted the truth. I nodded. He reached out to me, and gently brushed some stray hairs from the side of my face. I couldn't help but flinch a little. He noticed, and I silently swore to myself. He drew his arm back, a little hurt, I think. But, really, if he knew what my nightmare had been about, he would have understood why flinched. Anyone would have understood. "What happened? In the nightmare" he asked. Oh god, I knew that question was coming – and I didn't want to give him the answer. He'd had so much to deal with lately, and he was far from the end of his 'recovery', I didn't want to put my problems on him, and, if I'd of told him, I knew he would of blamed himself. And that was the last thing that I wanted. "I don't remember" I lied. He held my gaze for a moment, and then let it go. I don't know he believed me or not, but he didn't question me any further. I hated lying to him, but, I told myself, I was lying to _protect_ him. And, sooner or later, the nightmares would pass. I hoped.

"Ugh. How much longer are they going to _be_?" I sighed. I, along with Dimitri and Christian sat on one of those hard, uncomfortable polished wooden benches outside of the Queen's main daytime quarters. Lissa had been summoned, along with a few other Royals, by Her Majesty to talk politics. Adrian had been summoned also, but, somehow, he'd managed to get out of it. I guess you had that luxury when the Queen was you great-aunt. He was, no doubt, in a bar somewhere drowning himself in alcohol and nicotine. "They've only been in there for an hour" said Christian in a bored tone, "We've got time for at last _two_ more coffees". I sighed again. Patience wasn't my thing. "In fact," carried on Christian, as he got to his feet, "I'm going for round three. Anyone want?" I shook my head. I was all caffeine-d out. "No thank you" said Dimitri. Christian shrugged and headed off down the hall towards one of the Royal Court's five Coffee bars.

Now that we were alone, I turned to Dimitri, "Are you okay?" I asked him quietly. He turned to face me, "Yes" he answered, "Do I not look okay?". I nodded, "You do," I told him. You look perfect, I thought to myself. "But, you've been… kind of quiet". Okay, that sounded a little stupid. Because normally, Dimitri was _such_ a chatterbox, I told myself sarcastically. He was quiet by nature, I knew that, but something, maybe it was our connection, told me he was worried. "I'm fine, Rose". I didn't believe him. "No, you're not" I pressed, "What's up?". He didn't say anything for a moment, I waited. "We can talk about it later" he finally said. Okay, that sounded serious. I couldn't wait until later. "Is it… Are you…" I tried to find the right words, "Is it something to do with what happened? Do you remember something else?". I was referring to what had happened when he was turned, and I knew he knew that. Over the last few weeks, Dimitri had slowly regained his sense of self. The old Dimitri, the guy that I loved, seemed to be slowly coming back to me as the days passed. Oh, he wasn't out of the woods yet. There were moments when his turning Strigoi and the change back to Dhampir took its toll. Sometimes he'd go all quiet, draw back into himself, and refuse to look at me. He still wasn't up to full strength, and I was pretty sure, that there was no way he could take anyone in a fight. Physically, or mentally. He still had a long way to go.

He shook his head, "No. It's not about that". "Then what? Come on, Dimitri, talk to me". He was beginning to scare me a little. He sighed, knowing I'd not let this drop until he gave me something. "I'm worried about you" he said. What? I couldn't believe this. He was worried about _me_? Why? If anything, it was supposed to be the other way around. As if reading my mind, he gave me my answer, "Last night… Rose, that's the _sixth_ nightmare in two weeks". Silently, I groaned. Yes, it was true; I could be like a dog with a bone, but then, so could he. I stood my by decision when the nightmares started, he had too much to deal with, and I wasn't going to put this on him. No matter how much he pushed. He took my hands in his, "You keep asking _me_ to talk to _you_, but why won't _you_ talk to _me_?" he asked gently. I paused for a moment, "I told you, I don't remember what happened", once again, I hoped I sounded convincing enough.

He was just about to ask me something else when the Queen's double doors opened. Moroi, including Lissa spilled out into the hallway. I breathed a sigh of relief. Lissa walked over to us, and I stood up. "Hey" I greeted her. "Hey" she replied back, with a smile. She turned to Dimitri, "It's nice to see you out and about". Dimitri gave her a smile, "Thank you, Princess" he told her. Princess. I _still_ couldn't get him to call Lissa by her name. Well, he did when he and I spoke about her in general conversation, but to her face, he always referred to her by her Royal title. Maybe it was the respect he had for all Royals, I don't know. But me, I didn't have that respect. The only Royal I respected was Lissa. And, yeah, okay, at a push, Christian and Adrian. "It is nice to _be_ out and about" Dimitri continued. Lissa gave him another warm smile.

"How was Court?" I asked her. She sighed. Through our bond, I could feel the frustration swirl inside her, "It was… Court". She said. I gave her a sympathetic smile. "And, you know what?" she carried on. "_Adrian_. How did he mange to get out of it?". I put my arm round her shoulder, "Ah, Liss," I told her. "You know Adrian. The guy gets away with, well, anything". She frowned, then sighed "How is that fair?" she protested. "It isn't" I told her, "But, if it makes you feel better, when he eventually turns up, I can knock him out for you. Really, I don't mind" I told her playfully. She gave me a smile, "Rose" she chastised me, in a sort of amused tone. I smiled. "If anyone is going to 'knock him out', it's going to be me" she said, trying her best not to laugh as she spoke. I laughed, and glancing at Dimitri I saw him smile. We both knew, Lissa was the last person likely to throw a punch.

"Get in line" said a voice from behind us. Lissa and I turned to face Adrian himself. "I think the Queen might be _slightly_ mad at me" he said, with one of those oh so famous Adrian-like grins. He wasn't the slightest bit worried. "Slightly?" said Lissa, "I don't think that covers it". Adrian sighed, "Yeah, I just saw my father. He told me, and I quote, 'Sober yourself up, and report to Her Majesty at once'". I smiled, "Well, off you go then. You wouldn't want to keep the Queen waiting, now would you?" I said, teasingly. Before he could reply with some smart-assed comment, Priscilla Voda, the Queen's advisor approached us, and asked him to accompany her to the Queen's quarters – immediately. "Oh, is he in trouble" I observed, trying to suppress a laugh. Just then Christian returned, a cup of Starbucks coffee in hand. He and Lissa greeted each other with a kiss. "Coffee?" he asked her, holding out his cup. "Yes please" she replied gratefully.

As the four of us headed back to the house, walking though the Royal Court was as difficult as it had been when we'd arrived. Everywhere we went, Moroi and Dhampir Guardians alike stared at Dimitri as we passed. Many people had heard the rumours of his death, only a few knew he'd been turned, and that he'd been changed back. Most people, it looked like, couldn't believe what they were seeing. But they said nothing. I tried my best to keep a cool looking exterior. Inside, in my typical Rose fashion, I was burning to shout at everyone who had that stupid surprised look on their face. I glanced at Dimitri as we walked, I could see he too was doing his best to ignore the stares. I was suddenly reminded of the conversation we'd had last week. "I can't keep hiding in this house" Dimitri had told me, shaking his head slightly. "You're not hiding!" I protested, "You're…" I grappled to find the right words, I couldn't, "You're not hiding" I repeated, softly. He smiled at me, grateful for my support. "People are going to have questions" I warned him. He sighed, "Yes. I know". "But, I guess, we'll handle that when it happens, right?" I told him. "We will" he replied, with a nod. I wasn't completely convinced that he was ready to face the outside world just yet, but if he wanted to do this, I wasn't going to stop him.

We'd made it half away though the Royal Courts garden when someone from behind us addressed Dimitri, "Guardian Belikov" they said in a somewhat surprised tone. We all came to a halt. I tensed, ready for anything. We all turned to face the voice, a tall man stood before us. He was Moroi. He was slim, smartly dressed (rich, I guessed), and was a little shorter than Dimitri. Something about him rang very familiar, but I couldn't place what. It was then that I realised we hadn't all turned to face this man. Dimitri still stood where he'd come to a halt. It was like he was frozen to the spot. The man spoke again, "So, the rumours are true, then. My son lives". My head snapped in the direction of the man. I suddenly understood why he looked so familiar, in the smallest of ways he had similar facial features to Demitri and his sisters. This was Dimitri's father. The guy he'd beat the crap out of when he was just thirteen.

Slowly Dimitri turned to face him. It was then that I saw his face. His expression was filled with anger and hate. And he'd paled slightly. Lissa and Christian noticed also. Through the bond, I could feel a small amount of fear spark up in Lissa. I glanced at Dimitri again, I noticed he was clenching his fists, and he was shaking ever so slightly. In that moment, he looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.

His father, however, didn't seem fazed. "It's been a while. I hear you are a very well respected Guardian now. Climbed the ranks, as it were" his father carried on. Dimitri didn't answer. He just stared at his father, his anger, I could see, slowly rising. "Well," he continued, with a smug look on his face, "Before you got you charge killed, of course" he finished. Now my anger rose. _Basted_, I thought to myself. Before Dimitri had taken work at the Academy, he'd been a Guardian for a close friend of his – Ivan Zeklos. He'd taken a short vacation (after not having one for over two years), he'd told me, and when he'd returned, he'd come home to the shocking news that his charge had been murdered by Strigoi. He'd blamed himself, thinking that if he'd have been with the family at the time, he could have prevented it. Maybe he could have, but, then again, maybe he couldn't. And maybe, if he'd of been there, he'd have died too. I understood what he was feeling though; I'd have been the same if it had been Lissa. He took his work seriously, and so did I.

"How _is_ the Zeklos family?" his father asked. I was beginning to realise that this guy was every bit the asshole that Dimitri had said. Of course he'd not used the word 'asshole'. He'd been a little politer. Once again, Dimitri didn't answer. The tension around us was so thick, it felt smothering. I wanted to lash out with a smart-assed comment, but looking at Dimitri, I knew better. This was his fight. And, a fight, I was certain, was about to break out at any second. Well, perhaps not a fight, as such. Most Moroi didn't use violence; they left that to their Guardians. They fought with words and politics. This was what Dimitri's father was doing. I could see his words regarding the Zeklos family had hurt Dimitri as much as if he'd have been punched. Dimitri was showing an amazing amount of restraint and self control towards this guy. If it had been me, he'd of been on the ground a long time ago – Regardless of his stature in society. "My, my, aren't we all about self control these days" his father continued to taunt him, "Unlike back in Russia. Speaking of, tell me, how is you're _mother?_". With the mention of his mother, I saw Dimitri's entire body move, I thought for a second that he was finally going to hit the guy, instead, without a word, he turned himself around and continued on his way through the garden. I turned and stared after him, I called out to him, but he didn't acknowledge me, he continued on his way, his duster flowing a little as he walked.

I turned back to Dimitri's father, and glared. He had a smug look about him. I was about say something, when he stepped towards Lissa and held out a hand, "Princess Vasilisa. It's an honour to meet you". Was he serious? I couldn't believe this guy. After the way he'd spoken to Dimitri, he wanted to make nice with Lissa, like nothing had happened. My instincts kicked in. This asshole was too close to her. I shoved myself between him and my best friend. "Well, the pleasure _isn't_ hers!" I snapped. His smile faded a little. I'd pissed him off. Good. "Ah. And the formable, Rose Hathaway takes action at last" he said, looking me in the eye. How the _hell_ did this guy know so much about us? I wanted to ask him, but I bit my tongue, I didn't want to show any weakness. I just glared at him, hoping I looked as pissed off as I felt. He just smirked at me. He wasn't afraid. Damn. "Tell me," he asked, "Is it true that you went to the ends of the earth to rescue my son? To save his soul?" I didn't reply, but I'm guessing from the look on my face he got his answer. "Fascinating" he said. "He must mean a lot to you, then". He gave me another smirk. "Get out of here" I told him through gritted teeth. He stepped back a little, "Of course. I would hate our little meeting to turn into something more… _violent_". I continued to glare. He was suggesting I used violence to sort out my problems, and yeah, okay, that was partially true, I guess. But, I knew he was insulting me. He turned to Lissa. "Good day, Princess" he said, with a nod, in a way of a polite goodbye. Then he turned and walked back the way he'd come. "Wow. He didn't even acknowledge _me_" said Christian, "I don't know whether to be grateful, or offended" he said with a grin. I turned to Lissa, "Are you okay?" I asked. "Yeah, Rose. I'm fine" she said, somewhat confused. "Is… is that Dimitri's _father_?" she asked me. I nodded. "Poor guy…" muttered Christian. "He's… horrible" said Lissa, in a disgusted tone. "You don't know the half of it" I said.

"Come on, we should get you home" I announced. Lissa shook her head, "I think you should go after Dimitri. He seemed kind of… upset". Yes, I wanted nothing more than to go after Dimitri, but I had to make sure she got home safe. "I will" I told her. "When I know you're safe. At home". She gave me a look. "Rose. I _am_ safe. There's Court Guardians everywhere". That was true. Guardians lined the Royal Court, and the surrounded apartments and Houses within the grounds. "Besides," said Christian, putting his arm around her. "She has her awesome flame thrower bodyguard. What more could a Princess need?". He grinned. Both I and Lissa rolled our eyes. I sighed. "Okay" I said reluctantly, "I won't be long" I told her.

We parted. I felt slightly uneasy about letting her walk home without me. But, I knew she had a point, there _were_ plenty of Guardians about, and she had Christian with her. Through the bond, I could feel that she thought I was being a little over protective, and, perhaps I was. But, it was my job to look out for her. Well, technically, not my job – Yet. I still hadn't been assigned as her official Guardian. Too much had happened with Dimitri and none of us had been around for a ceremony to take place. But I knew the time would come when she would be assigned her Guardian or Guardians, and I just hoped the Queen didn't hate me enough to interfere with that.

I took the path which Dimitri had taken. It led to another area of the Royal Court grounds. I'd not been in this part before. Another small bar and a few stores were scattered here and there, and also a lot of what looked like office buildings. All decorated in pretty much the same fancy style as the other areas on the Court. I scanned the entire area; there was no sign of Dimitri. I sighed. I was just about to turn back, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw the entrance to a small chapel. I stood there for a moment, wondering if I should try my luck. I decided to give it a go.

I quietly opened the door and slipped inside. Yep, I was right. Dimitri sat in the pews, about half way from the front. Although the Royal Court's Chapel was open to the public twenty-four-seven, at the moment he was the only one there. I quickly walked down the main isle and towards his pew, doing my best to walk quietly in the house of God. As I slipped into the pew and sat next to him, he looked up at me. "Hey" I said, giving him a warm smile. "How did you find me?" he asked. "Oh that was easy," I told him, "I've got an entire pack of psi-hounds reporting your every move". "They only follow orders from Moroi" he answered. "Yeah, well, they made an exception. Must have been my winning personally, huh?" I smiled. He shook his head in aspiration, a hint of a smile shining through. I let the light moment pass, and then I put on my serious face, "Are you okay?" I asked him. He regarded my tone, and sighed. "No" he said truthfully. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked. He glanced at me briefly, and then shook his head slightly, "No" he repeated.

I felt for Dimitri, I really did. He'd been through so much lately. The last thing he needed was his asshole of a father turning up. "Why is he here?" Demitri wondered aloud. He looked at me, "He had no right to come and seek me out. Not after the way we left things". He shook his head slightly, "He had no right". "What happened? How did you leave things?" I asked. Suddenly, I wanted to know everything about this man that Demitri hated so much. Knowing that his father used to beat up his mother didn't seem enough. Did that make me a complete ass? Dimitri sighed; he turned back to the front of the Chapel, eyeing the large Crucifix that hung on the wall. "It doesn't matter. It's in the past". I knew that tone. He wasn't going to tell me, so I decided not to push.

"Well, I, for a second, thought you where going to hit the guy". He turned to face me, "Believe me, I wanted to". "So, what stopped you?" I asked. "Rose," he said, in a sort of I-shouldn't-have-to-tell-you-this kind of tone, "We were in the middle of the Royal Court's garden. A Dhampir lashing out at a Moroi would not have been tolerated". He had a point. A ton of Guardians probably would have jumped him. "I would have probably ended up spending a night in the Courts cells". "Nah" I told him, "I would have broken you out within the hour". Dimitri did that cool thing with his eyebrow. "Hey, it's what I do" I shrugged. Referring to the time when I'd broken Victor Dashkov out of prison, so he could lead us to his brother. Dimitri smiled at me. A silent few moments passed between us, before I spoke again. "Still," I said, "If that'd been _me_, he'd be walking home with two black eyes right about now". Demitri had an amazing amount of self control – unlike me. He smiled, "And _that_, is why you end up in as much trouble as you do". He wasn't telling me off, more like, pointing out the obvious. "Hey!" I protested, "You act like, I go _looking_ for trouble". "Don't you?" he asked playfully. "No! Trouble finds _me_, okay? Not the other way around" I told him, in an almost innocent tone. He laughed.

As we walked home together, Dimitri's anger lifted. Maybe it was an out of sight out of mind kind of thing, I don't know. Whatever. He seemed more relaxed, and that's what mattered. As I opened the front door, I heard laugher coming from the lounge. A woman's laugh. Dimitri and I looked at each other; we both knew who this woman was. We walked inside and I closed the door. Dimitri headed to the lounge, I reluctantly followed. There, sitting in-between Christian and Lissa, on the couch was Natasha Ozera, Christian's Aunt. Oh _great_. Tasha was a nice lady, kind, and adored her nephew. In fact she liked all of us. My problem was, she liked Dimitri as well. More than liked. Six months ago, she'd asked him to be her Guardian. He liked her, as in _liked her_, liked her, and so and he'd considered the offer, but in the end didn't take it. He'd stayed at the Academy. He'd later told me, he couldn't be with her, he couldn't return her love, when his heart belonged to me. "Dimka!" she said happily, as he walked though the threshold. She shot up and practically ran over to hug him. I clenched my jaw. I saw Lissa give me a warning 'don't-start-anything' kind of look. "Hi Tasha. How are you?" asked Dimitri as they broke the hug. "Fine, fine" she replied with a smile. She turned to me, "Hello Rose" she said kindly. I forced a smile, "Hey". It's not that I didn't like Tasha, I did, kind of. She was cool. But, well, I just didn't like the fact that she liked my guy.

She turned back to Dimitri, and gave him a concerned look, "How are _you_?" she asked softly, "Christian and Lissa told me… what happened". I saw Dimitri tense slightly. I think it was safe to say, both he and I were wondering just how much Tasha had been told. "I am okay" he said. I could tell his words were forced, and so, I think, could Tasha. She laid her hand on his arm. I discretely gritted my teeth. "Come. Let's go for a walk. Catch up" she said. Dimitri glanced at me. He wasn't asking for my approval, but, I think he realised the situation made me uncomfortable. After all, the last time he'd seen Tasha, he'd rejected her offer – for me. I forced another smile, I think he saw through it, however, I hoped Tasha didn't. "Go" I said, "Catch up". With that they both left the lounge and headed out of the front door.

When I heard the front door close, I turned and headed into our small kitchen. I leant on the breakfast bar, and let out a frustrated breath. "Rose? Are okay?". I jumped and swung round. Lissa stood in kitchen's doorway. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine" I lied. I gave her yet another one of my forced smiles. Wow. How many was that in the last two minutes? She walked further into the kitchen. "I've said this a hundred times, I know. But, I wish the bond would work both ways. I never seem to know what you're feeling anymore". She sounded a little hurt. "I'm fine, Liss. Really" I said, trying to convince her. "No, Rose. You're not" she argued. I sighed. "Are you mad at us, because we told Tasha about Dimitri?" Yes, I thought. But didn't tell her that, and that wasn't really my problem. Tasha herself was. "Because," Lissa carried on. "She seemed to know some parts, and, well, what else could we tell her except the truth? I mean, they're friends". Through the bond, I could tell Lissa was worried that she'd upset me. "I know. It's okay. Really" I gave her a smile, then added, "You're right. They are. _Friends_". I couldn't help but put the emphasis on the word 'friends'. Lissa frowned, "I thought you liked Tasha?" she asked me. "I do. You know I do" I replied, "It's just…" I sighed, unable to finish that sentence. Then suddenly what my problem was clicked in Lissa mind. I knew she'd figured it out before she even spoke. "Oh, Rose" she said in a sympathetic tone. "I didn't even think. I'm sorry". She walked closer to me. "I know they're… close. But that's _it_. They _are_ just friends". I sighed again. "Maybe…" I muttered. "He was going to take up her offer…" I said quietly. "And… he once told me he thought she was beautiful". And she was. She was very pretty, even with her scars. "But he _didn't_" replied Lissa, "He didn't take her offer. He chose _you_, remember?".

I sighed again. She was right. He had chosen me. But that didn't stop the thoughts flickering through my mind. "Sometimes, I wonder _why_. They have a lot in common. They're practically the same age". Okay, so maybe that wasn't completely true. Dimitri was seven year older than me, and Tasha was seven years older than him. But, somehow, their age difference seemed to be more accepting then ours. Lissa put a hand on my shoulder. "Rose" she said softly, "If you love someone, like he loves you, nothing else matters, right?". I smiled at her. "A lot of things matter, Liss" I said. I recalled a past conversation between me and Dimitri. We'd spoken about the reasons why the two of us should not be together. There was our age for a start. The fact that he was my mentor at the time, and I was his student. And then there was the most important reason, we were both going to be Lissa's Guardians. Our minds needed to be on protecting her, and not each other. And now, really, not much of that had changed. We hadn't spoken much about the future since Dimitri had been changed back. It would come up soon enough, I knew that. And I knew I had to brace myself for when it did.

"He loves _you_, Rose. Not Tasha" said Lissa. I could feel she really believed that. However, it didn't seem to make me feel any better. "Maybe he shouldn't…" I said. My words came out in a sort of like a hushed tone, although I don't know why. Lissa frowned at me. "I mean… What if he _had_ taken her offer? If he hadn't of been at the Academy… He wouldn't of… Things wouldn't have happened… and he wouldn't be in so much pain right now" I said. Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself. And I was feeling insecure. Lissa gave me a firm look, "Rose. No" she said, "What happened, _happened_. But we got him back. _You_ got him back". I sighed, "Maybe…". I pulled out of her grip, and headed towards the kitchen door. "Where are you going?" she asked me, concerned. I turned back to face her, "Out. I just need to clear my head". I could feel she was still very much worried about me. "Rose," she said, "You have to trust him. Without trust, you have nothing". It was ironic she was giving me love-life advise. But she was trying to help, I could see that. "I do trust him" I told her. I don't trust _her_, I thought to myself. Through the bond, her worry for me still came though strong. "I'm fine, Liss" I told her. And not waiting for an agued response to my lie, I headed into the hallway and out of the front door.

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End of Part One. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm currently working on Part Two. Thanks for reading!


	3. Ghosts: Part Two

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Two)****  
**_"_I swallowed. I couldn't see his face, but his posture told me everything. Dimitri looked scary_"_

Firstly, thanks for all the kind reviews guys. Each one is very much appreciated. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. Thanks again, it means a lot!

And so here we are, I present to you, part two of "Ghosts". Part "Three" to follow, as soon as I have the time to start typing it up. Enjoy.

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I HEADED OUT OF THE FRONT DOOR, on route to nowhere in particular. I needed to get out of the house. I just hoped I wouldn't run into Dimitri and Tasha. Before I knew what I was doing, I was running laps near one of the Royal Courts runways. A few people turned and stared, but I ignored them. Channelling all of my energy – and anger – into running seemed like the right thing to do. As I ran, thoughts of Dimitri and Tasha spun inside my head, I tried to block them out – with no luck. Lissa's voice of reason flooded into my mind, _He chose you, remember? He loves you. Not Tasha_. Her words didn't make me feel any better. When I couldn't run anymore, I came to a stop, and then painfully walked home.

After closing the front door, I headed to the kitchen for some water. I grabbed a glass from the sink and was just about to run it under tap, when I heard voices from outside in the back yard. I looked up and saw the window was slightly ajar. "Okay, so, you've spent the last forty five minutes telling me how 'fine' you are. Now, can I have the truth, please?". It was Tasha's voice. I heard Dimitri sigh. I realised they were sitting on the wooden bench that sat under the window. I debated on whether I should be listening here. It did feel wrong to eves-drop on Dimitri, but my curiosity won over. I quietly put down my empty glass and listened on.

After a few moments, Dimitri spoke. "It's hard" he said quietly, "It's really hard". He sighed again. "I keep seeing the things I did when... when I was…" he couldn't finish. I knew what he was trying to say. When he'd been a Strigoi. "Sometimes," he carried on, "Sometimes I wish…" once again, he couldn't continue. "Oh Dimka…" said Tasha kindly. "Sometimes I wish… that Rose would have killed me. Perhaps it would have been easier. For both of us. Perhaps it would have been what I deserved…". Hearing the man I loved talk like this, a lump formed in my throat. I wanted to run outside and tell him that he was wrong. It turned out that I didn't need to. Tasha did that for me. "Dimka, no" she said. Her tone was sad, yet firm, "What happened to you, wasn't you're fault. You are a good man. And you didn't deserve to go though any of that". In that moment, a part of me was glad Tasha was with him. Dimitri was opening up to someone – he clearly needed to. But the other part of me – the jealous and insecure part – was pissed that he was opening up to her and not me. Okay, so he had opened up to me a little over the last few weeks, but that didn't change my jealousy. "What you did when you were… one of them… that wasn't _you_" carried on Tasha. "You sound like Rose. That's what she said" Dimitri said. "Well, that's because, she is right. And, I'm sure, from what I've been told… that she would know that better than anyone". Yeah, I thought. I would. I knew what she was referring to. Apparently Lissa had told her about my time in Russia – when Strigoi Dimitri had held me captive. Thanks Liss, that was really something I wanted made public. I was a little annoyed at my best friend. How much did she and her boyfriend tell this woman?! Okay, so Tasha was almost like family, but still, what had happened between me and evil Dimitri, was kind of private. And something neither one of us was proud of.

I heard Dimitri sigh. "How much did they tell you?" he asked her. "Well," Tasha began, "We talked about it for a while…". So, in other words, she knew almost everything. _Great_. Dimitri sighed again. "I did a lot of… unconscionable things, Tasha. Things I should never be forgiven for. But what I did to Rose…" he trailed off, obviously unable to finish that sentence. "Hey" she said firmly. "I thought we decided that wasn't you, remember?". Dimitri ignored her. "I don't know how she can even look at me…" he carried on. That's easy, I thought to myself. _I love you. No matter what's happened_. There was silence between them for a few moments. "Speaking of Rose…" began Tasha. Her tone was cautious. "I take it she was the reason you turned down my offer?". More silence followed. The two of them were out of my line of sight, but I imagined Dimitri had nodded in response to her question, because Tasha then said, "I see".

After a few moments, Tasha continued, "Have the two of you considered the… ramifications of your… relationship?" her tone, despite her words wasn't angry, more concerned. Dimitri didn't answer her for a few moments. Maybe he was choosing his words. I held my breath, wondering how he was going to answer this. "In the beginning, we did. We were both going to be Lissa's Guardians. We both knew that protecting her had to come first. But, the more we tried to fight our feelings, the more complicated things became". Demitri spoke slowly, as if remembering the past. "Then, there was the attack at the Academy… and everything changed". I wondered if he was remembering what had happened in the caves, or in the cabin – the first (and only, as of right now) time we'd had sex. Maybe he was remembering both. As I stood listening to Dimitri talk about our relationship, I wondered how long it would be before it was public knowledge, and I wondered what sort of resistance we would get from society. A lot of people wouldn't like it. Two Dhampir's hooking up – two _Guardian_ Dhampir's – was considered, well, almost treason. Every Guardian has to put their charge before themselves. That's just how it is. "And now?" prodded Tasha. "Now? I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen". There was a brief silence between them. Tasha broke it, "She's young, Dimka. Barely out of high school". A speak of anger ran though me. So damn what?! "I know" Dimitri told her. "I know that. But, I love her, Tasha. More than I thought possible". My jaw almost hit the floor. I knew Dimitri loved me, and god, did I love him, but to hear him say those words to someone else – especially Tasha – well, wow. And just like that, all – well, most – of my jealous and insecure feelings towards her faded. He'd told her he loved _me_. And, I couldn't help it, a huge smile spread across my face.

Suddenly, I felt a presence loom over my shoulder, they whispered in my ear before I could fully react, "Who are we spying on, Little Dhampir?". I jumped, "_Adrian!_" I hissed. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him over to the opposite side of the kitchen, away from the window, where Tasha and Dimitri might hear us. "Are you _crazy_?! What the _hell_ were you doing?!" I chastised him, in a hushed tone, "I almost took your head off!". Man, was I pissed. Although, if I was truthful with myself, I wasn't sure if I was more pissed at being caught – by him of all people, or interrupted. "Aww, you wouldn't hit _me_. Like I've told you before, I'm far too pretty" he replied with one of his grins. I gave him a sour look. "Well, lucky for you, I have pretty good reflexes". I snapped. "Don't I know it" he said playfully. "Hmm. Maybe we should go somewhere more, uh, private. Test them out again" he joked, with another one of his grins. Damn. I walked into that one, didn't I? I smacked him on the shoulder, "Never going to happen, Adrian". He sighed, "Yeah, I know. But, you can't blame a guy for trying". I just shook my head. He knew I only had eyes for one guy, and I think, he'd more or less accepted that, deep down. But that didn't stop his flirtations coming thick and fast. That was just Adrian. I was grateful that he didn't act that way around me when Dimitri was present.

I crossed my arms, "So, how much trouble _are_ you in with Her Majesty?". Adrian gave a loud and exaggerated sigh, and I couldn't help but grin. "Man. That woman can _bitch_" he said. Yeah, that was something that wasn't lost on me. I'd been at the forefront of her bitching – on more than one occasion. "So what happened?" I asked, quite amused. "Oh, can't you guess? She went on and on about how I'm so very irresponsible. I don't live up to what's expected of somebody of my stature. After all, I am an Ivashkov". I gave a snort of laugher. "I think I tuned out to her bitching after the first ten minutes" he finished. He was recalling what had happened with the widest of smirks. "You really don't care, do you?" I asked him. "No. I really, _really_ don't" he replied with a slight laugh, "Hey, all that Royal politics crap isn't for me. I'll leave that to Lissa". I frowned at him, "She hates it too, you know" I told him. "She does" he agreed, "But at last she's good at it". I shrugged. Yes, even though Lissa hated politics, she _was_ good at it. I think she held on to the hope that one day she could help change something for the better. Adrian lent back against the wall, and fumbled in his jacket pockets, soon pulling out his cigarettes and lighter. He opened the packet, took one out and held it to his lips. I pulled a disgusted face, "Do you have to do that in _here_?" I asked. He shrugged, "My house, my rules" he said. "It's not _just_ your house, smartass. It's _half_ Lissa's" I snapped. He just shrugged at me, and then lit is cigarette. Both Lissa and Adrian paid rent on the house with their overly large trust funds.

"So," he said changing the subject, "Who were you spying on anyway?". Before I could speak, he crossed the room and listened at the window. I didn't bother to tell him who was out there, he'd know soon enough. After pausing for a few moments to listen, he looked back across the room. He looked a little surprised. He walked back towards me, blowing out a puff of smoke on his way. "Is that Christian's Aunt?". "Tasha. Yes" I said with a nod. "With your boyfriend?" he observed. "Yes" I sighed. "Hmm" he answered, blowing out more smoke. Something about the way he said that pissed me off. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, not bothering to hide my anger. Adrian arched an eyebrow, my tone had surprised him. "I've got eyes. I saw them at the resort. I think the word 'cosy' comes to mind" he ginned. And just like that, all of my insecurities that had faded a few moments ago came rushing back. Damn. I glared at him, and his smile faded. "Oh come on" he said, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "I was kidding. You're not seriously worried?". I didn't reply, but I guess my expression gave him his answer. He took a step closer to me. "You _are_, aren't you?" he asked me, in a serious and surprised tone. I averted my eyes. "You know, you and Christian would make a great couple. What with your paranoia and all". "Shut up!" I snapped. Not finding the joke remotely funny. Adrian just shook his head. "Are you crazy?" he asked me. This time his tone was softer – kind, even. "The guy is _nuts_ about you. Any idiot can see that". He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, "You haven't got anything to worry about there, Little Dhampir". He gave me a smile, and I think I managed to return it. Maybe he was right. I remembered Dimitri's words, _But, I love her, Tasha. More than I thought possible. _I sighed. Adrian was right. I was being stupid. And, like I told Lissa, I did trust Dimitri.

Tasha stayed for dinner that evening. Things were actually okay. I didn't hear the rest of their conversation, but whatever Dimitri had said her, she seemed to be okay with our relationship. Either that, or she was just going along with it. Tasha seemed pleasant enough towards me – but then, she always was. I did my best to act pleasant towards her. And I'm pretty sure I pulled it off. After a while, surprisingly, I found myself liking her as much as I did before I discovered that she liked Dimitri. Christian and Lissa were pretty stoked to have her in our company, as was Adrian, once he'd got to know her.

Darkness had fallen when I left everyone talking in the lounge. I headed outside into the back yard and sat on the wooden bench. It was a little chilly out, but my sweater kept me from feeling too much of the cold. I hadn't been sitting there long, when I sensed a presence to my left. I turned to see Dimitri standing in the threshold of the open back door. "Hey" I said, giving him a smile, "You found me". He walked over to the bench and sat down next me. Turning to face me, he asked, "What are you doing out here by yourself?". "Just sitting" I replied. "Rose…" he said, in that low, tell-me-what's-going-on tone. "What?" I replied, in that same tone. Our eyes met, "What's wrong?" he asked. What was wrong? Where to start. Despite the good evening we'd had, I was still a little insecure about Tasha. I was worried about him in general, and then there was his father, our future together and individually. _And_ my nightmares.

Once again, I decided I didn't want to worry him with my problems. I avoided his eyes, looking down at my hands, "It's nothing". Another lie. Ugh. I felt bad about that. He took my hands in his. I knew I wasn't fooling him this time. "It's not nothing" he said gently. I didn't respond. "Rose," he said quietly, "Look at me". I wanted to, but I knew if I did, I wasn't sure if I could hold it together. He spoke again. His tone was gentle and quiet, "Roza, please look at me". Damn. I had no choice. I hesitated for a brief moment, then I slowly lifted my head and looked into those dark brown eyes. Oh, how they melted my heart. Every time. "Is it the nightmares?" he asked. I swallowed. I couldn't lie to him when I was looking directly at him. I just couldn't. It was like he held some sort of power over me. If it hadn't of been for the fact that I knew he was Dhampir, I would have considered compulsion. I sighed. I had to give him something, so I nodded in response to his question. At least it wasn't a lie, right? I just hoped he wouldn't question me too much about it.

He didn't say anything for a few moments, he just looked at me. Then he squeezed my hands a little. "We'll get through this" he said with a slight nod. I shook my head and smiled. I couldn't believe him. Here he was, going though hell, and all he cared about was making sure _I_ was okay. "We _will_" he assured me, mistaking my disbelief for disagreement. "It's not that" I told him. "It's… _I'm _the one who's supposed to be supporting _you_ right now. I'm the one out of the two of us who's supposed to be staying strong. And here I am falling apart". I felt awful. The things I was worrying about seemed so trivial, when I compared my problems to his. He smiled at me. "You _are_ supporting me, Roza" he said. "You've been here for me these past few weeks, and I am truly grateful for that". His words didn't seem to hold much comfort. I felt like I was letting him down somehow. And as if reading my mind, he carried on, "You've been patient and understanding. You've been amazing". I wasn't sure how to react. Hearing him speak like that, a part of me seemed to relax a little. I think he noticed. He gave me another smile. Despite my downbeat mood, I managed to smile back. Trying to be strong, trying to get on board the positive train, I said "Hey, that's me. I am nothing if not amazing". He laughed at my joke. I loved the sound of his laugh. He didn't laugh much anymore. I guess with everything that had happened lately, there wasn't much to laugh about. He let go of my hands and shifted on the bench so that he could put his arm comfortably around my shoulders. "That you are Roza. That you are" he said in a light tone. Then he gently pulled me closer to him, and I rested my head on his shoulder. He was warm, and I felt safe in his embrace. Sitting there, I wished that time could just stop. Just for a few days. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

"What a day!" said Lissa. Through the bond, I could feel she was happy and relaxed. Good. That's the way I liked it. We'd had a chick-fest day. Which had included shopping, lunch and then an afternoon in the Royal Court's luxurious Spa. It had been just the two of us, no guys aloud. Lissa had said that it was a much needed break for me, and wouldn't take no for an answer when I had tried to get out of it. Dimitri had agreed with her, so I really had no choice but to go along with it. And walking back home now, yes, I had to admit, maybe they were right. "Yeah. It was a good day" I agreed, trying to balance a few of my bags, whist checking my watch. "We need to do it again soon" Lissa informed me. "In fact," she carried on. "We should make it a regular thing. The Spa I mean" she said. "Maybe" I answered, somewhat unsure. Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with my best friend, and, I had enjoyed the day, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to have regular trips to the Spa. Oh, I liked the Spa treatment, a lot. But, once again it came down to, 'what was the point'? Lissa could, and would always be able to make herself look pretty. She could dress up and go to those Royal events. She would be noticed. But me? I couldn't. I was going to be her Guardian. Her Shadow. It seemed like any sort of regular beauty treatment would be a total waste.

"I thought you enjoyed it?". I sensed confusion. "I did!" I said, trying to assure her. "Then, what's problem?" she asked as we walked, "If you're worried about the cost. Don't be. I don't mind paying. That's what my trust fun is for". She gave me a smile. "Your trust fund is for weekly trips to the Spa?" I asked, jokingly. "Well, no" she smiled, "But, it could be" she finished with a grin. I laughed. She was just about to ask me once again what the problem was, the thoughts had formed in her mind, but she was cut off by the sound of raised voices. I knew one of those voices. I'd know it anywhere. Lissa, I could see, knew it too. It was Dimitri's. We looked at each other for a brief moment, I could feel worry, and a little bit of fear seep into Lissa. And, if the bond worked both ways, she'd have felt the same from me. Only, it would be been doubled. As we rounded a corner, I could see the house. Dimitri and his father stood at the front door, things looked intense between them. We both picked up our pace. Lissa, I could feel, wanted me to reach home as fast as possible, to sort things out. Sometimes I was amazed at the amount of faith she had in me.

We hurried along the pathway, now only a few houses away. I could hear Dimitri's words perfectly, "You stay away from me, and you stay way from Rose!" he shouted, pointing at his father. I'm not sure what shocked me more, the fact that he was shouting – I'd only ever heard him shout twice – or the tone he was using. It was pure venom. He meant it. His father saw me before Dimitri did. Seeing his father looking beyond him, made Dimitri turn around. Lissa and I had just made it to the house. As he saw us, I spoke, "What's going on?" I asked, in a sort of demanding tone. Dimitri turned back to his father. "Nothing" he said, not taking his eyes off the older man as he spoke. "He was just leaving" he said venomously. However, his father didn't move. Dimitri took a step towards him, "I said, he was just _leaving_". I swallowed. I couldn't see his face, but his posture told me everything. Dimitri looked scary – not that I was sacred of him. But I could easily see how others could be. He was pissed at his father, and I could see he was fighting to stay in control. His father, however, didn't seem fazed. It was almost as if he was goading his son into loosing it.

In the moments that passed, things still remind incredibly tense. I could feel the fear slowly rising in Lissa. She was worried for Dimitri. I had to do something, I decided. I dropped my bags and moved past Dimitri, as I did, I caught a glance at his face. Wow. I was right, he looked damn scary. I looked his father in the eye, "You heard him" I said, "_Leave_". I hoped I sounded at least a little bit as scary as Dimitri looked. His father looked from me to his son, and back to me. I don't think he was intimidated by either of us, unfortunately, but he took a step back. "We shall finish this later, then" he told Dimitri, with one of his smug looks. To my relief, Dimitri didn't reply, he simply glared. After another few tense moments, we watched Dimitri senior walk away. I heard Dimitri, though gritted teeth, very quietly mutter something in Russian before disappearing inside the house. Lissa and I exchanged concerned looks, wondering what the hell had gone on between them. Speaking of his father, it suddenly occurred to me, that I didn't know his first or last name. He was Moroi, so it wouldn't be Belikov. Plus that was his mother's name, and I knew they hadn't married. Things didn't work that way between Dhampir woman and Moroi men.

"Well, did he threaten you?" I asked Dimitri. We were in our room, Dimitri sat in the chair near the window. I sat on the corner of the bed, opposite him. Once I'd assured Lissa that everything would be okay, and that I'd sort it out, I'd found him in here. I was now trying to get out of him what had happened. He sat there, deep in thought, he wasn't ignoring me, but I didn't have his full attention either. Dimitri shook his head slightly, "No" he said. I thought about what could have caused him to react like that. What did he say? _You stay away from me and you stay away from Rose_. "Okay, so, did he threaten me?" I asked. Again he shook his head, "No". I sighed, "Then what happened?". He looked up at me, but said nothing. "What _did_ he say?". Again, he didn't answer, he just continued to look at me. Talk about getting blood out of a stone. I was beginning to get a little frustrated, but I kept my cool. "Look," I began, my tone was as gentle as I could make it, "I know he's an ass. And I know he hurt your mom. If he didn't threaten you – or me—" I stopped in mid sentence, because Dimitri got up. "Rose," he said quietly, "Can you just leave it? Please?". I didn't want to 'just leave it'. I wanted answers. I was worried about him and this little episode just added to that. But, I saw the look in his eye, and I knew that tone. He wasn't going to give me the answers I wanted. As far as he was concerned the topic was closed. I gave a loud sigh. "Fine" I said. "Thank you" he replied softly. He walked over to me and kissed the top of my head. "I'll sort it out" was his final word on the subject. Yeah, I thought to myself, that's what I'm worried about.

Over the next couple of days, Dimitri's dark mood regarding his father seemed to fade, much to my relief. He didn't need this crap in his life right now – and to be honest, neither did I. I'd had another nightmare, and once again Dimitri had tried to talk to me about it. And so, once again, I'd had to lie. Telling him I didn't remember what the nightmare had been about. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't confide in him. I couldn't bring myself to explain the dreams. I knew they'd only cause him more pain. If he knew what they were about, he'd blame himself. The nightmares themselves seemed to be getting more intense, if that was possible. And with each one that passed, they seemed to freak me out just that little bit more. My higher reasoning told me to talk to someone about them, if not Dimitri, then Lissa. But no, I decided against that too. I didn't want to worry her. No, I told myself. I'm overreacting. They'll stop… sooner or later. Right?

I groaned as my bedside alarm went off. I felt too tired to get up. Sighing I turned over to face Dimitri, except he wasn't there. For a second alarm bells rang, but I calmed myself, he was probably downstairs already. With that thought, I dragged myself out of bed, dressed, and headed out of the door. I'd just made it to the bottom step of the staircase, when Lissa came running out of the kitchen, a bunch of papers in her hand. Though the bond I could feel that she was very excited and very happy. The huge smile on her face mirrored those feelings. Before I had a chance to bid her good morning, she spoke, "They're here! They're finally here! Isn't it exciting?!". I stared, still half asleep. "Um, Liss, you're gonna have to spell it out for me, I've been awake for less than five minutes". I pointed to my face, "See? Sleepy face" I told her. She laughed. We both headed into the kitchen, and as I entered, I was relieved to see Dimitri sitting at the small breakfast bar. He was nursing a cup of what smelt like Coffee. "Hey" I smiled. "Morning" he replied, retuning the smile. Thinking that I could also use a cup of Coffee, I walked over to our small machine and grabbed a cup, "So, what's all the excitement then?" I asked my best friend, who was reading though some of her papers. The bond told me straight away, but this was her news, so I waited for her to tell me. "LeHigh have sent the papers at last!" she said, her voice filled with excitement. LeHigh was the collage Lissa – and me, if I was assigned as her Guardian – would be attending in the fall, a couple of months away.

I poured some coffee into the cup, "That's great" I said. I hoped I sounded happy for her, I was still too sleepy to be very excited about it. "Yep. We should start going over the classes. LeHigh lets you design your own curriculum. We've only got a couple of weeks to get the papers back to them though". I came to a stop. What? We? "Uh, Liss… what's with the 'we'? This is _your_ collage experience, remember?". She gave me a confused look. "Rose, you're going to be there too". I sighed "Okay, yeah. _Hopefully_. That hasn't been decided for sure yet. And even if I am, I'll be there as your _Guardian_". I glanced at Dimitri, hoping for some support here. He gave none, he just simply watched the two of us. "I know" she argued, "But, you've got to attend classes too. You've got to look and _act_ the part" she said. Lissa was going to a Human populated Collage. So, it was likely, her Guardian – hopefully me – would be disguised as another student, and as her friend. That's why, really, I was the perfect candidate. "And, as my best friend, I don't want you flunking classes because you hate them" she finished. I sighed. It was nice of her to think of me, but this was her future not mine. My future was to be her guardian. "So, we're going to choose together, right?" she finished, in a firm tone. I gave in. "Okay, we'll choose together" I told her. She gave me a huge smile, "Great!".

Lissa turned to Dimitri, "So, any idea how they'll disguise you? I mean, you'll be around campus, right? So, older student, or maybe TA?". I glanced at Dimitri, wondering how he'd answer her. Before the attack at the Academy, Dimitri had told me that if we were to be a couple, he'd ask to be reassigned to another Moroi. He didn't want our relationship affecting his work to protect Lissa. I'd argued that it would be fine, that he could do both. He'd strongly disagreed. He said that if there was an attack, he would have to jump in front of Lissa. He'd have to be ready to defend her. And, yeah, I'd agreed with that. We protect our Moroi at all costs. He'd then told me, the problem was, if there was an attack, he'd want to jump in front of _me_. He'd want to protect _me_. And, well, what could I say to that?

Dimitri looked a little taken back by Lissa's question. As it turned out he didn't have to answer her. Lissa carried on, oblivious to our discomfort. "TA would be pretty perfect, actually. You look the part. Hmm, maybe I should mention that to the Queen". Lissa looked at me, "Do you talk to the Queen about that kind or stuff? Or is it the Guardian Council?". Hell if I knew. But, the Queen would probably give Lissa anything she wanted, just to keep her onside. I shrugged and shook my head, "No idea, Liss" I told her. "Guardian Council" said Dimitri. We both looked at him. "Usually", he added. I was surprised that he'd chipped into the conversation, since it was making him so uncomfortable. "Oh. Okay" said Lissa, grateful for the conformation. "Okay, so, I'm going to show these to Christian" she held up her papers, "Can you believe he's still in bed?" she said, in a kind of mock disgusted tone. "Yes. I can actually" I told her, with a grin. She laughed as she headed out of the kitchen.

When I was sure she was out of earshot, I turned to Dimitri. "Well, that wasn't a _bit_ uncomfortable" I said sarcastically, "Much" I added, as I sat down on one of the stools next to him. Dimitri turned to me, "You haven't told her" he said. I sighed. "A lot's happened lately. It hasn't come up. Until now" I replied. "And besides, why is it down to me to break the news? She's your charge". Dimitri frowned, "Yes. You're right" he said after a few moments. "I will tell her". I sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's cool, I'll tell her". To my surprise, he shook his head. "No. No you are right. She is – was – my charge. It is my responsibility to tell her". And that, I thought to myself, is why my boyfriend made such an awesome Guardian. He took the job seriously. The best of us did. After a few moments, I made the decision to talk about the future, something I'd been putting off for a while. I opened with, "So, have you thought about who you might want to Guard? Someone here at the Royal Court, obviously, right?". He gave me a brief smile. "You know it doesn't work that way, Rose. We can't pick and choose who we are assigned to". I was just about to tell him that I knew that. That I was just wondering if he had his eye on someone in particular. Although Guardian's couldn't pick and choose their charge, it didn't stop us hoping we'd get somebody decent. But he spoke first, and what he said shut me up. "Besides, I'm not sure if I am going to request another charge". I froze. Did he just hint at what I thought he was hinting at?

"I–what?" I stuttered. He sighed, I think perhaps bracing himself for my reaction. "I'm not sure if I'll be retuning to Guardianship" he said quietly. "Well no, not right _now_. But, give it a while. And in the future—" he cut me off, shaking his head, "No. Not now, not in the future". He was serious? I was stunned. I had trouble forming words. Where was this coming from? "Are you... are you saying… you're _quitting?_". He didn't reply. That told me all I needed to know. "But… why? If this is about Lissa—" he cut me off again. "It's not about Lissa". "Then, what?" I asked. He sighed again. "You're right when you said a lot has happened. I've changed, Rose. The things I've seen, the things I've… _done_" he spoke in a sad, quiet tone, "I'm a different person to I was before I was turned". I just stared at him, trying to take in his words. "I'm sorry," he said, "But I need you to understand that". I found my voice, "I do. Okay? I _do_ understand. But I also know that you are an _amazing_ Guardian". And he was. Everyone I knew thought so. He was respected by a hell of a lot of people. "Dimitri, we're talking about you're _future_ here". Crap, I was starting to sound like Kirova – or worse, my mother. He swallowed, he knew I was right. But despite that, he said "Rose, please. Please don't fight me on this". His tone made me uneasy. I tried to analyze it. After a few moments it hit me. I looked him straight in the eye "Are you afraid?" I asked. I made sure my tone was gentle, but level. He swallowed and looked down at his coffee cup, avoiding my eyes. Oh my god, he was. He's was quitting because he was afraid.

I wasn't sure if I should keep on pushing him, I wasn't sure if he'd just completely shut me down. But I decided give it ago, "Is it because of what happened in the caves?". I was referring to the caves not far from the Academy. The caves where a rescue plan, at the last moment had gone wrong. The caves where he'd been turned. He didn't look at me right away, or speak for a few long moments, he just stared down at his now cold cup of coffee. "I can't fight them. Not anymore…". He said finally. His tone was barely a whisper. By them, he meant the Strigoi. I swallowed. I never, _never_ thought I'd hear him say something like that. He looked up at me, "And I won't put myself in a position of protecting somebody, knowing that I can't do the job. I won't do that" he spoke in a serious tone. A tone which I couldn't argue with – not that I would have done anyway. He was right to think like that. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. He turned away, once again, staring down at his coffee. I glanced at him. It was then that I realised how hard a decision like this must have been on him. A Guardian was what he had been trained to be ever since he was a child. Like me, it's all he knew, and like me, it's what he was. To give that up, was like giving up your beliefs, and going against everything you'd been taught. It was like giving up a part of yourself. Looking at him, I could see that he really had changed. Despite the good progress he'd made over the last couple of weeks, he'd gone from this guy who could – and would – handle anything that was thrown at him, to somebody who was, well, afraid. And, I was scared for him. Really scared.

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End of Part Two. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm currently working on Part Three. Thanks for reading!


	4. Ghosts: Part Three

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Three)****  
**_"_I looked into his eyes. I could just about make out the hint of red in them, which told me he was no longer the man I loved, but now my enemy_"_

Once again, thanks for the reviews! I love to hear what you guys think of the story. Please keep reviewing, and ask your VA friends to review too!

And so here we are, I present to you, part "three" of "Ghosts". Haha, I didn't expect this story to develop quite the way it has done. I didn't think it would be this long. It turns out I have more ideas than I'd first thought. There's more to come!

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IT WAS PRETTY LATE WHEN I CLIMBED into bed. I'd left Dimitri downstairs in the lounge, engrossed in one of his Western novels. Lissa and Christian were hanging out with Adrian in his room, practising magic, I think. They'd asked me to join them, but I had declined. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I was still reeling from Dimitri's bombshell that he'd dropped on me this morning. I couldn't imagine Dimitri not being a Guardian. Firstly because he was so damn good at it, and secondly, because, well, it was who he was. I sighed. What would he do if he wasn't a Guardian? I tried to imagine him doing something else. Maybe he could work somewhere in the Royal Court. I suddenly had visions of him as a masseuse, like Ambrose. I immediately decided I didn't like that idea. I didn't want other woman checking out my shirtless guy. I guess there were lots of jobs here at Court if I thought about it. I sighed again. Maybe I just had to accept the fact that Dimitri had changed. And there was nothing I could do or say to change that.

I had been in a tense and uneasy mood for most of the day. And Dimitri and I hadn't spoken much to each other either. I didn't quite know what to say to him after his revelation. And, I think perhaps he was worried that if he said the wrong thing, it would somehow set me off. Ugh, was I really that short-tempered? Lissa had picked up on the tension between us and had asked me what was wrong. I'd lied and said that everything was fine, that she was imagining it. Mostly because I didn't want her to worry, and also, I didn't think I could bring myself to explain. I'm not sure if she believed me or not, but she let the subject drop. I was just about to close my eyes and drift off to sleep, when excitement shot though me – Lissa's excitement. The feeling pulled me out of my almost-sleepy state, and suddenly I was wide awake, looking into the eyes of Adrian Ivashkov. Lissa had, unintentionally pulled me into her mind. _Great_. I did not need this right now.

"That wasn't bad, cousin" Adrian told her. He seemed impressed. Lissa was very pleased with herself. "I did it! I actually did it!" she said. Christian moved to closer to her, "I knew you could, Liss" he said. She smiled at him. She then looked from her boyfriend to Adrian, then back to her boyfriend, "Wow. Your Aura's are… so different". It suddenly hit me; the strong emotion that had pulled me into her mind had been magical. Lissa had finally been able to see people's Aura's. She'd been trying to learn from Adrian for months now. Go Liss! "Yeah. Mine's more pretty than his" Adrian said with a grin and a nod, glancing at Christian as he spoke. "Dude," replied Christian, "You can have the pretty. I'm manlier than that" he gave one of his own grins. I was just about to leave them to it and enjoy a nice sleep – in my own body, when there was a soft knock at Adrian's door. In my mind, I froze. I was lying on the bed in my room, Christian, Lissa and Adrian were in this room. It could only be one person. "Come in" said Adrian, with a slight smile. I think he thought that it was me. Through Lissa's eyes, I saw the door open, and Dimitri walked in.

Adrian's smiled dropped when he saw it was Dimitri. So, he had expected it to me. Wonderful. "Sorry to interrupt" Dimitri said, in a way of greeting everyone. He looked at Adrian. "Can I talk to you?" Uh oh. This can't be good, I thought. "Uh, yeah, sure" he replied, he looked as confused as I felt. The three of them stood up. "We can go" said Lissa, "We're done now anyway". Dimitri turned to her and Christian, "No. No, please. Stay. I'd like you both to hear this" he said in a serious tone. He closed the door softly, never looking away from the group. At first, I thought he was going to tell Lissa that he'd no longer be able to be her Guardian. But then I remembered, he'd asked Adrian if he could talk to him. What the hell was going on? I didn't have to wait long to find out. "It's Rose" he told them. Oh crap. He better not be about to say what I thought he was about to say. "She's… she's been having dreams. Nightmares". Damnit. He'd told them. I was furious. I hadn't wanted them to know. I thought about pulling myself out of Lissa's mind, busting into Adrian's room and – what? I realised. Shout? Scream? I was mad, but what good would that do? Plus, I wanted to hear what was said. Through the bond, I could feel Lissa's mind fill with worry. And, that was exactly why I hadn't wanted her to know. "Is… is she okay?". Dimitri hesitated for a moment, "Not really. Which is why I'm telling you. I think, with each one, they're getting worse". Damn, he didn't miss a trick did he?

No one spoke for a moment, they all seemed to be taking it in. Lissa broke the silence. "Well, what are the Nightmares about?" she asked him. Dimitri shook his head, "I don't know. She says she doesn't remember the details". Lissa didn't know what to say to that. It was Adrian who spoke next, "I'm sensing you don't believe her?". Dimitri sighed, "I'm not sure. I'd like to think that she wouldn't keep something like this from me… but…". Even though I was fuming, I felt bad. So he did know I was hiding something. Christian spoke, pulling me out of my own thoughts, "How long has this been going on?". "A couple of weeks" answered Dimitri. "_Weeks?!_" said Lissa, shocked, "Why didn't she tell me about this?". I could feel that she was a hurt by me keeping this from her. She also didn't bother to hide the hurt and shock in her voice. "She probably didn't want to worry you, Liss" said Christian. Dimitri nodded in agreement. "That's no excuse!" Lissa shot back. Great, I was going to have a Lissa-lecture tomorrow. Those always made me feel bad.

Dimitri turned to Adrian. "I need to you help her". Wow. Did I hear that right, did Dimitri just ask Adrian for help? That was new. He _was_ worried about me. It was no secret that Dimitri and Adrian just about tolerated each other. Probably for my sake. It was also no secret that Dimitri asked for help from no one. I was shocked to see Adrian's face full of concern. "Sure. Anything" he replied. "I need you to … go into her dreams. Find out what they're about". Adrian sighed. "I can't" he told Dimitri. "Why not?" he asked. He looked a little pissed. "It doesn't work that way" said Lissa, sadly. Dimitri looked from Lissa back to Adrian. "Well, how does it work?" he asked. "When I dream walk," began Adrian, "_I_ choose the venue. I… pull people to me. I can't do guest spots in their own dreams". Dimitri sighed, and then nodded with disappointment, showing he understood. "The best I can do," carried on Adrian, "Is ask her. But then, I don't need to dream walk to do that. And honestly, I doubt she'd tell me". Well, he had that right. I wouldn't have done. Knowing that the conversation was coming to a close, I pulled myself out of Lissa's mind.

I felt myself return to my own body, and sat up, glancing around the room. The anger I'd felt before seemed to intensify, I couldn't believe Dimitri had done this. I'd told him that I didn't want my friends to know about my nightmares. It felt like he'd betrayed me, betrayed my trust. Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Dimitri himself walked quietly into the room. He saw me and froze. "You're awake" he said surprised. "Yeah. I am" I replied, not bothering to hide the anger in my voice. I saw Dimitri tense slightly, he'd noticed my tone. "How could you do that?" I asked him. "How could you tell them, when I asked you not to?". I tried to speak as level as I could, but I don't think my words came out that way. Dimitri closed the door. "You heard" was all he said. "No. I _saw_" I answered, in that same tome. "Lissa pulled me into her mind. She and Adrian were doing magic. The next thing I know, you walked in" I explained. Dimitri sighed. "They're your friends. They needed to know" he told me. He spoke quietly. I climbed out of bed, "No, they didn't!" I argued, my temper slowly rising.

I crossed the room, and came to a stop a few feet away from my boyfriend. "I didn't want them knowing, because I didn't want them to worry. I didn't want _Lissa_ to worry". Dimitri didn't say anything; he just simply looked at me, as if waiting for me to continue. Maybe he could tell my rant wasn't over. He knew me well enough, maybe it was written all over my face. If he wanted me to continue, fine, I would, "You had _no_ right to talk to them about this. Or ask Adrian to dream walk me" I snapped. "Do you even know how _freaky_ dream walking is?!". Okay, maybe I was exaggerating on that, Adrian's dream walking wasn't really freaky, more annoying. But, I was pissed, and I needed the ammo. "Besides, the dreams, they'll pass eventually". From the look on Dimitri's face – besides the concern – it was obvious that he didn't agree with that. He looked me straight in the eye, and spoke in a slow, serious tone, "What if they don't? What if the dreams–_nightmares_–aren't just that? What if it's something to do with being Shadow-Kissed?". That brought me to a halt. I hadn't thought of that. He took a step closer to me, this time, his tone was soft and gentle – his concern rising, "Rose, they're getting worse". I swallowed. How the hell did he know? "I love you" he carried on, "And I want to help you. But… if you don't let me in, how can I do that?". His words broke me, and I fought to stop the tears. He wanted to help me, and I wanted his help, I did. The nightmares were freaking me out. I wanted to tell him everything, but I couldn't, I knew they'd hurt him. I knew he'd blame himself, and I just couldn't bare that.

After a moment, Dimitri continued, "I went to Adrian because, I thought, if I couldn't help you, then maybe he could". I swallowed, and avoided his eyes. Trying very hard to control myself, I took a step back from him. I tried to speak as level as I could. "They're just dreams" I told him, "Normal dreams. Everyone has them". I saw the look on his face, he wasn't buying that. "Whatever they are, Rose, they're affecting you. They're hurting you". I sighed. He was right. But, it wasn't like I could do anything to stop them. I aired my thoughts, "Well, what do you want me to do?!" I asked, frustration building up inside me, "If I could make them just go away, don't you think I would?". My voice rose a little, "What do you want me to do?!" I repeated. Dimitri stepped up to me, catching my arm, "What I _want_, is for you to talk to me. Let me in" he said. No. There was no way I was going to do that. I'd made that choice. And I was going to stick to it. "There's nothing to talk about. I told you, I don't remember the details". From the look on his face, and from what he'd said in Adrian's room, I knew he didn't believe that. But I didn't care. I was angry. And, like I said, I didn't want him knowing about the details of my nightmares. I pulled out of his grasp and headed back to the bed. "I'm going to bed" I told him, angrily. He stood where he was, watching me. "Rose, we have to talk about this". "No, we don't" I argued, climbing into bed, "There's nothing else to say". I pulled the covers up to my shoulders, my back facing him. "Rose, please…" he tried again. I wasn't having any of it. "I'm going to sleep now" I snapped, my tone still full of anger. He didn't say anything after that. I think he realised he was fighting a loosing battle. After a few moments, I heard him slip off his jogging pants and climb into bed next me.

A tear rolled down my cheek, I hated fighting with him, it broke my heart, but I couldn't seem shift the way I felt. My anger seemed to take over, and I couldn't stop it. I was angry at him for telling the others, I hadn't wanted them to know, and I knew, come morning, I'd have to deal with their concerns. Some part of me knew he was only trying to help, and, I wished I felt like I could confide in him about the dreams. I knew I was hurting him by shutting him out, I could see that in his eyes. But, if he knew about the dreams, well, that would hurt him even more. I was sure of that. As I lay there, I wondered if Dimitri was still awake, I told myself I would not turn over and find out. I wondered if I'd have another nightmare tonight. I hoped not, I couldn't really deal with that right now. Thinking about the nightmares, I suddenly remembered what Dimitri had said, _What if the dreams_–_nightmares_–_aren't just that? What if it's something to do with being Shadow-Kissed? _That worried me. I'd never stopped to consider that. Because I was Shadow-Kissed, I'd had lots of weird experiences that others didn't. Could my nightmares really be connected to my bond with Lissa? No, I told myself. Like I'd told Dimitri, everyone has nightmares. And given what I'd been though over the past year, well, really, if you thought about it, having nightmares wasn't that surprising. I'd been to hell and back. As I drifted off to sleep, I hoped to god that I wouldn't get a visit from Adrian.

My feet hit the moist grass hard as I ran though the woods. I had no clue where I was going, or where I was exactly, I just knew I had to get away from him. Faster and faster I ran, my breathing became more and more rapid, and the muscles in my legs began to ache. I pushed on though the pain, glancing up at the sky, I could see the moon though the trees. His words ran though my mind, _If you really want to live. Run. Run like you've never ran before, and maybe, maybe I won't catch you_. I mentally smacked myself, don't think about that now, I told myself. Don't think about him, run, just run damnit. Gritting my teeth from the pain in my legs, I carried on. On and on I went, hoping that any moment, I'd see something other than trees. A Road – and a few cars travelling along it would be nice. But I couldn't hear any traffic. Suddenly something moved besides me. My stomach gave a lurch. It – or rather he – came to a halt about two meters in front of me. No! I mentally screamed. After all that running, he'd caught up with me. But, really, I was fooling myself if I thought I could out run a Strigoi.

Dressed in all black, his leather duster flowing, the man that I had once loved walked slowly towards me. I couldn't move. And really, what was the point of trying? Closer and closer he came. He stopped when he was a couple of feet away from me. I swallowed. I knew he could smell my fear. He smiled at me, but there was no kindness to it. "Roza" he said, "Did you _really_ think you could out run me?". Somehow I found my voice. "Not really. But, you know me, I had to try". I was trying to sound badass, but I'm pretty sure it didn't come out that way. Trying to stall him, I continued, "Why don't we give it another try? Best of out three?". He laughed, then slightly shook his head, "They'd be no point. I'd catch you every time" he told me. He was right. I looked into his eyes. Through the darkness, I could just about make out the hint of red in them, which told me he was no longer the man I loved, but now my enemy. Suddenly, he moved. God, he was fast, so, so fast. My brain didn't have time to react, within seconds he was behind me. He grabbed me fiercely and held me in a chokehold. With his free hand he grabbed my left arm and held it tightly behind my back. He was hurting me, but I refused to let him know that. His touch was so cold. He moved his face so it was side by side with mine, his chin brushed against my shoulder, "I'm faster than you" he told me. He spoke in a sort of cold, menacing whisper. I struggled a little, but stopped when his grip tightened, "I'm stronger too" I swallowed, my fear rising. "You know this. So why fight me?" he continued. He was expecting some sort of answer, I think, but I didn't give it.

"Why are you doing this?" I finally asked him. My voice broke as I uttered the words. I felt a single tear roll down my face. "You know why" he told me, "Because I want you". He wanted me. Not, he loved me. Strigoi couldn't love. He _wanted_ me. Like I was something he could own. I swallowed again. In that moment, something told that this was the end. I was going to die. Maybe he sensed a change in me. My pain, or fear, I don't know, but he said, "I don't what to hurt you, Roza". A sob escaped my lips, "Too late" I said, trying to sound much braver than I felt, "Too late". I think my words shocked him a little, or threw him, at least. He lessened his grip on me, but only slightly. I knew there was no point trying to struggle. After a moment, I felt his head moved towards my neck. "I don't want to die… Please. Please don't do this…" I breathed. He looked up at me again, "Roza, I promise, it's going to be okay. Once you're awakened, we can be together. Nobody can stop us". Another sob escaped me, "You think I want that?". I knew my words were useless, he'd made up his mind, he was going to turn me, whether I wanted to join him or not. "I know you can't see it now" he answered, "But, you will. You'll see how right this is. Us together. Young and together. _Forever_". Then, moments later, I felt his fangs scrap my neck, I cried out, "No! Nooo!". He ignored my pleas and sank his fangs harder into my flesh. Oh god, the pain. It was getting worse with every second. Any moment, I expected the endorphins to kick in, but they didn't come. I tried to cry out again, but I don't think I managed it. I could feel the life slipping out of me with every second that passed... And then, I woke up.

"No!" I gasped, bolting up right. Not knowing why, I moved my hand to my neck, checking for bite marks, or blood. Nothing. I realised then, that it had been a dream. "Rose?". I snapped my head towards the voice. I had woken Dimitri, he was sitting up, leaning towards me slightly, his expression full of concern. Memories of the nightmare flashed in my mind, those red eyes… that cold smile. As our eyes met briefly, I saw the warmth in them, the worry. He reached out to me, and laid his hand on my arm, his touch was warm. He spoke, "Are you—". I didn't let him finish, I cut him off, "I'm fine!" I snapped, no longer meeting his eyes. I really wasn't, but I wasn't going to tell him that. "You were shouting in your sleep" he told me. I was? Great. I hoped whatever I'd said was incoherent enough for him to not make out. I swallowed. "I'm fine" I repeated, pulling out of his grip. I slipped out of bed, quickly crossed the room, opened the door and exited.

I quietly walked down the hallway and slipped inside the bathroom. I had to get out of my room. I was trying very hard not to freak out about my nightmare in front of Dimitri, and if I'd stayed in there any longer, I don't think I would have been strong enough to make out that I was okay. I turned on the light, walked over to the sink and stared into the mirror. My pale refection stared back. The colour had drained from my cheeks. I looked like I'd seen a ghost. It was then I noticed how sweaty I felt. Ugh, gross. I lifted my hair away from my neck, where in the nightmare Strigoi Dimitri had bitten me. Of course there was nothing there, but something, I didn't know what, made me want to check. I let my hair fall back in place, and turned on the cold tap, running my hands under it. I then dragged my wet hands over my face. I repeated that a few times, and then looked back into the mirror. Great, now I looked like a drowned rat. Sighing, I reached for the small hand towel and rubbed my face try. After a few moments I threw it back on to the counter, and once again, looked back into the mirror. I jumped when I saw Dimitri standing behind me in the doorway. I spun round to face him.

His tall frame loomed in the doorway – he'd thrown on his jogging pants, I noticed. He was staring at me, looking very much concerned. I looked back at him, into those dark brown eyes, I saw no hint of red. This was the man I loved, not that thing from my nightmare. "How long have you been standing there?" I asked, my voice a little shaky. He ignored my question. "You're shaking" he observed. Was I? I looked down at my hands. Damn, I was. I hadn't even noticed. I reached behind me and leant my hands on the sink, perhaps that would stop me from shaking. It didn't. "I'm fine" I told him. Those two words seemed to slip out of me so easily these days. "No. You're not" he replied. I swallowed. No, I really wasn't. I avoided his eyes and stared down at the floor's tile. I felt a tear run down my cheek. Great. So much for me acting like I was fine. The next thing I knew, he was wrapping himself around me, "Oh Roza…" he said. He spoke in a gentle and caring, but concerned tone. I let go of the counter, and folded my arms around him. I buried my face into his t-shirt, trying desperately not to cry. His embrace was warm and kind. Far from what it had been in the nightmare, fierce and cold. Once again, I felt safe in his arms. It was like, as long as I was wrapped in his embrace, the nightmares couldn't touch me. Like, he could chase them away somehow. After a few moments, I felt more silent tears run down my cheeks. He must have known I was crying, because they were soaking into his t-shirt. But, he didn't say anything else, he just held me. We stood there together, our fight forgotten.

When I woke the next morning, once again, I found Dimitri's side of the bed empty. What was it with him getting up so damn early? That was until I looked at my alarm clock, and realised I'd slept in. Crap! I jumped out of bed and hurriedly dressed. I was half way down the stairs when Lissa spoke to me though the bond. _Come into the lounge_. When I walked in, everyone was there waiting for me. Lissa and Christian sat together on one end of the couch, Adrian sat on the chair next to them, and Dimitri was leaning against the wall, holding an A4 sized envelope. "Morning" I said, trying to sound chipper. No one answered me. They all held serious expressions, even Dimitri. Crap. I knew what was coming. Dimitri stood up. "I'll leave you guys to it" he said, heading for the lounge door. He looked at Lissa, "I'll mail these for you" he told her. "Thanks" she replied, with a smile. He stopped when he reached me, as he looked at me, I could see he was a little worried about something, "I'll see you soon" he said, quietly. He lightly kissed the side of my hair, then glanced back to the others for a moment, before walking out of the room. A few moments later I heard the sound of the front door closing. I turned back to the others. "What's going on?" I asked. Once again, nobody answered me. "Where's he going?" was my next question. This time I got an answer, from Lissa, "He's going to mail my college papers" she told me. "Right" I said, "So he's… leaving us to what exactly?" I asked, remembering Dimitri's words. I was certain I knew the answer to my own question.

"Rose, sit down" Lissa asked, she spoke kindly. I could feel that she was a little nervous. Then, I realised, they all looked a little nervous. Surprisingly, I did as she asked. I sat down on the other end of the couch. I waited for someone to speak, Adrian lent forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees, "Belikov told us about the dreams". He corrected himself, "Nightmares". I sighed. I knew this was coming. This is why I got so angry at Dimitri last night when I'd discovered he had told them all. "Why didn't you tell us?" asked Lissa, "God, Rose, why didn't you tell _me_?". I swallowed, and looked at her; I could feel a rush of emotions swelling up in her – worry, confusion, hurt, anger, disappointment. Her face also conveyed most of those emotions. "I… I didn't want you to worry". My answer didn't seem to please her, at all. "Worry?" she asked. She seemed even more pissed at me. "Yes," I told her, "I didn't want you to worry. You have enough to think about. And, besides, it's my job to worry about _you_, not the other way around". I frowned, "Well, it will be. Soon". Somehow, I'd managed to piss her off even more. I'd also managed to upset her as well. I was shocked at the tone she used, it was hostile, but also on the verge of cracking, and her voice was raised a little, "It might not be my _job_ to worry about you. But, you being my best friend, it sort of comes with the territory!". I saw tears in her eyes. Through the bond, I felt what she was feeling. She felt like what I'd said about not wanting to worry her was a load of crap. She felt like I didn't trust her enough to confide in her. I noticed she was shaking a little, so did Christian. "Liss, come on, calm down" he said quietly. "I'll calm down, when she gives us the truth" she said, her tone still angry. "I _am_ telling you the truth, Lissa" I said. Before she could say anything else, Adrian spoke, his tone was calmer, "So, what about us? Christian and I? You didn't want to worry _us_ either?" it was an accusation. "No, I didn't" I told him, trying to speak levelly.

Christian spoke next, "Dimitri said… he said this has been going on for a while. Is it always about the same thing? Or is it different each time?" He spoke in a no-nonsense tone, and his expression was firm. It wasn't like Christian to be that serious. I'd expected him to laugh this off, make some kind of joke. I watched the three of them as they waited for an answer. I didn't give them one. I really didn't want to talk about this. After a few moments, Adrian said, "Answer the question, Rose". The way he said that pissed me off. My defences kicked in. I stood up, "What is this? Nightmares Anonymous?! I don't need an intervention!". Lissa shot out of her seat, "Really?" she challenged me, "You don't think so?" she spoke in a raised voice, still very much upset. "Liss…" I said, trying to calm her down, it didn't work. "No, Rose! Don't 'Liss' me! Not this time!". I eyed the guys; they looked as worried as I felt. Lissa carried on, "What happened to letting me in? What happened to promising me no more secrets?". I sighed. When I told her about Dimitri and then my time in Russia, Lissa made me promise that I wouldn't keep big things from her anymore. No matter the reason, and I had agreed. "I'm sorry, okay? I should have told you" I admitted. "But, seriously, I'm fine, okay? The dreams, are just that. Everyone has them. They're no big deal" I said, trying to throw them off. Okay, so they knew I was having the nightmares, and they all seemed pissed at me for not telling them, but if I could just act like they were blowing this thing out of proportion, then maybe they'd back off. My nightmares were something I didn't want to talk about with any of them, even Lissa. I just wanted to deal with them by myself. And, like I told Dimitri, they'd pass, eventually.

"That's not how Belikov tells it" said Adrian. I turned to face him, "Dimitri is _overreacting_" I lied. Suddenly hearing his name, I wondered if Dimitri had known about this little meeting of theirs. Yes, I thought, he'd known, and he'd also known how this would go down. He knew my temper, and my defensiveness on the subject. That's why he'd made himself scarce. Thinking back to when he'd been here, I remembered him looking a little worried about something. Had he not agreed with their approach? I wondered if he'd tried to talk them out of confronting me. "Rose, come on, you can talk to us" said Lissa, she finally seemed to be calming down. "Look, guys, I appreciate the concern, I really do" I told them, making sure I gave each of them a meaningful stare, "But, I'm _fine_. Okay?". Lissa was about to argue with me, but she stopped when I held a hand up, "Liss, please". I sighed again, "Guys, can we just drop this? Please?". Lissa hesitated for a moment, then sighed and sat back down next to her boyfriend. Adrian also lent back in his chair, finally deciding to give up also. I glanced at Christian. Seeing I also wanted his cooperation, he gave me a slight nod. "Thank you" I said to the three of them. And with that I turned and left the room. I came to a stop in the hall, a little way from the lounge door, breathing a sigh of relief.

I was just about to head into the kitchen, when I heard Christian speak, "Well, that went well. Not". I heard Lissa sigh. "I guess Belikov was right" said Adrian, "He told us confronting her like that would backfire". Oh, he did, did he? So why the hell hadn't they listened to him? "Well, we had to try" said Lissa sadly. "Yeah, but the thing is, have we made it worse?" asked Christian. Nether Lissa or Adrian answered him. I sighed. I hated this whole damn situation. I hated the nightmares, I hated lying, and shutting out the people who cared about me. But, that said, I hated the thought of any of them knowing the details of the nightmares. I don't know why, but, them knowing, especially Dimitri, scared the hell out of me, even more than the dreams themselves. If they knew, I was sure of two things, my friends would worry about me even more than they were now, and Dimitri would blame himself. And I wasn't about to let that happen. No, I told myself, I'm a big girl. I can handle this on my own. Right?

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End of Part Three. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm currently working on Part Four. Stay tuned!


	5. Ghosts: Part Four

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Four)  
**_"_It was as if father and son had just declared war on each other_"_

I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far. Thanks for all the reviews! It really means a lot, and keeps me going. I take on board all your comments. So if you want me to keep posting more chapters, keep reviewing!

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Four" of "Ghosts". The story is slowly building up to more drama for Rose. Will she be able to handle what's coming? Keep on checking back to find out.

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A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED since my intervention. My friends hadn't said much about the nightmares since then. Lissa had tried to talk to me once about it, but I'd told that it wasn't up for discussion, and so she'd reluctantly dropped the subject. Through the bond, I could feel that she was still very worried about me, and she was still a little hurt as well. So, I did my best to act chipper, hoping it would make her feel better. After a couple of days, her worry for me seemed to lessen a little, as did Christian's and Adrian's. During that time, I was surprised that Adrian hadn't visited me in my dreams. Perhaps he'd thought better of it. Dimitri on the other hand, wasn't fooled. He could see right though my pretence. Probably because he seemed to have the uncanny ability to understand me completely, he always had, and he was the only one who did. On the flipside, I understood a hell of a lot about him that others didn't, so in a way, I didn't mind. It was because of this – our connection to each other, why I believed with all of my heart, that despite how our lives had been written, and despite the tremendous odds that seemed stacked against us sometimes, that we belonged together. We were soul mates.

I hadn't had any more nightmares over the past few days, which, as you can probably guess, I was pleased about. It meant that I actually got some peace, and I didn't have to tell any more lies to the people that I cared about. But, I wasn't fooling myself; I expected it to be short lived. Thinking back to when I'd first had the 'Mason sightings', those, I remembered, had come and gone over time. Not that the dreams where anything like when I'd started to see ghosts, but, well, I couldn't help comparing the two. I wasn't even sure if the nightmares were connected to my bond with Lissa. Maybe it was just a major case of PTSD. I didn't like to think being Shadow-Kissed was the cause of it, but it was the way Dimitri had spoken when he'd suggested it. I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he could be onto something. I'd thought about talking to him about it, but then that would require talking about the nightmares, and, I didn't want to do that. Firstly, I didn't want to let him know that I was constantly thinking about them, and secondly, I was worried about where the conversation might lead. Dimitri asking me for details, for example. So, in the end, I decided to push them to the back of my mind, for now at least.

"Thank you very much, Lord Ivashkov" said the waitress as she took the check from Adrian, "You have a good evening, now". Adrian smiled at her, "You too, sweetheart" he said, flashing her one of his charming smiles. Adrian had decided that he wanted to treat us all to a fancy meal at one of the Royal Court's restaurants. Of course, he'd chosen the most expensive one. So, there we sat, at an expensive looking oak table, in expensive looking – but oddly comfy – oak chairs. Our table was just outside the restaurant's front entrance, under a sort of cream and golden marquee. Everything about the place looked fit for Royalty. I was sure that the tablecloth alone would cost a week's average pay check. Over the last hour or so, the five of us had eaten a six course meal. I was stuffed, and looking at the satisfied faces of those around me, I think the feeling was mutual. "There's a little something extra in there for you" Adrian whispered, as the waitress turned to leave. She gave him another smile and then left.

"What's that, your phone number?" I muttered. I knew he'd just given her a massive tip, but I couldn't help myself. He flashed me one of his grins, "Jealous?" he asked. "Hardly" I snorted, "I know your phone number". "Come on guys, we're in public, play nice" said Lissa. She wasn't being serious. "Give them a break, Liss. They've managed to behave all though dinner" grinned Christian, finding it all very amusing. Lissa rolled her eyes. Just then Dimitri arrived back at the table and sat down next to me. "Everything okay?" I asked him. A few minutes ago, he had been called away by another Guardian, no one that I knew, but he seemed to know him. Dimitri, it seemed, knew almost every Guardian I'd ever met. He nodded. "I was told Alberta is here" he said. Alberta Petrov had been captain of the Guardians at the Academy. As far as I knew, she still worked there. I wondered why she'd be here at the Royal Court. "She wants to see me" he carried on. My defences rose. "What? Why?" I asked. "I have no idea" he replied. "Well, you haven't got to wait long to find out" said Christian, looking past us. I turned to where he was looking; Alberta had just entered the marquee, and was heading towards our table. She wasn't dressed in normal black and white Guardian attire, this it seemed, was her day off.

Alberta arrived at out table and we all exchanged hellos. She then turned to Dimitri, "Belikov, I wonder if I might borrow you for a few moments?". "Of course" replied Dimitri, as he stood up. I gave him a concerned look as he walked past me. What the hell did Alberta want with him? He didn't seem too concerned though, and gave me a slight smile as on his way past me. I watched them head out of the marquee and out of sight. "You look worried" said Lissa. I turned to face her, "I just can't imagine what Alberta would want with him. He doesn't work at the Academy anymore". "Maybe she wants to ask him out on a date" suggested Adrian. He flashed me that oh so annoying grin. "Do you _want_ me to punch you?" I asked sharply. Was he trying to piss me off tonight? Probably, I realised. "Now, now, _Children_" said Christian in mock authority. "Adrian, leave Rose alone" said Lissa, trying not to laugh, but coming to my defence. "Yeah," I said, "Leave Rose alone, because I meant what I said. I'm in a need–to–hit–something mood" I told him, "So just—" I stopped. Something – or someone – caught my eye. Dimitri's father had just walked past our table and was heading down the path, towards the Royal Court's garden. "Son of a bitch!" I snapped, "He's still here". Everyone looked in the same direction. "I'll be right back" I said, standing up. Lissa caught my arm, "Rose, no. Just leave it", she sounded worried. She knew I was going after him. "It's not a good idea" said Adrian backing her up, catching on to what I was about to do. "Noted" I said, and with that I left the table and darted out of the marquee.

It took me a few moments to catch up with Dimitri's father. "Hey!" I shouted, when he was in sight. Not realising I was calling out to him, he kept walking. I shouted again, "Hey!". I couldn't call him by name, because I didn't know it. By then, we'd passed the restaurants and bars, so there wasn't many people walking in this area of the Court. I think that's why he turned round to look. He saw me. "Yeah, I'm talking to you" I told him. By now I was about twenty feet away from him. I walked quickly, trying to catch up to him. Once he'd seen me, I refused to jog. Taking large strides, I thought, looked fiercer. He turned away, and kept walking, as if trying to ignore me. He was heading for the gardens. I quickened my pace. Just before he came to the gates, he made a sharp turn to the left, heading down the side of two buildings – it sort of resembled an alleyway. I moved after him.

I rounded the corner, and came to a sharp stop, he stood a couple of feet in front of me, arms crossed, looking smug. "Why, if it isn't Rose Hathaway. What can I do for you on this fine evening?". Using the methods that I'd been taught, I made a quick scan of my new surroundings. The 'alleyway' was about ten foot long and about three foot wide, and it was open at both ends. There were a couple of wooden crates scattered here and there – stacked about four high. I turned to Dimitri's father, "What the hell are you still doing here?" I snapped. He let out a laugh, but his tone was serious, "That, little girl, is none of your business". Little girl? That pissed me off, "Yeah?" I challenged him, "It _is_ my business when you turn up at my house and cause trouble for the people I care about". He laughed again, and walked a few steps towards me, "What's this really about? My son?". I didn't reply to that, but I guess the look on my face gave him his answer. "I see" he said with his smug expression. "Leave Dimitri alone" I said, through gritted teeth, trying to look as pissed off as I felt. He smirked at me. Then, before I could react, he shot forward, grabbed me with both hands by the front of my jacket, and shoved me up against the wall. He was fast. I didn't even know Moroi could react like that. He pinned me there so I couldn't move. He wasn't as strong as he made out to be, I was pretty sure I could easily fight him off if I needed to. I remained still in his grasp, letting him think he had me trapped. I'd use the element of surprise if I needed it.

He positioned himself so his face was just inches from mine, we were about the same height – perhaps he was a few inches taller, "Now, you listen to me" he said. His tone was dark and serious. He was trying to frighten me. I didn't find him very intimidating, I knew I could kick his ass, Dhampir's were stronger then Moroi. But it suddenly occurred to me, that for someone without the skills to defend themselves – someone like Dimitri's mother – this guy could appear very frightening. And, I knew, he wasn't afraid to use violence on Dhampir women either. "I do what the hell I like" he said. Yep, spoken like a true male Royal – well, most of them at least. I had to admit, did know a couple of decent Royals – Christian, for example. And dare I say it? Adrian. "If I want to have contact with my son, _no one_ will stop me. And those who try, well, lets just say, they'll be _dealt with_. One way or another". I did my best to grin at him, "Is that a threat?" I asked. Anger flashed in his eyes. His tone didn't change when he answered, "No. It's a _promise_. You mess with me, little girl, and—", suddenly two hands ripped him off of me. Dimitri's hands. I hadn't even seen him enter the alley. With great force, he pulled his father away from me and roughly shoved him into the opposite wall. He hit it much, much harder than I had. It looked like it hurt. Dimitri was on him in seconds, he pushed him harder into the wall, "If you _ever_ touch her again, I will _end you_! Do you hear me?! _I will end you_!" he yelled.

My mouth dropped open. I suddenly had a flashback to last fall when he'd caught me with Jesse – before Dimitri and I had admitted our feelings for each other – and man, that had been scary. I thought he was going to kill Jesse. Well, okay not kill him, but perhaps beat him with an inch of his life – and if Jesse hadn't of been a student, I was pretty sure he would have done. He had burst into that room like some kind of god. Watching him now, I was scared. Not of him, but what he might do. I'd _never_ seen him look so angry. The look on his face right now also reminded me of when we'd visited Victor Dashkov in the Court's holding cells. He'd looked damn scary when he'd threatened Victor – because Victor had threatened to tell the entire court about us, and telling everyone about our secret relationship would bring harm to me. Something Dimitri wasn't about to let happen. It had reminded me then, just how dangerous he could be. That dangerous tone he'd used on Victor, I realised, was the same tone he'd spoken to his father in just now. Except, with his father, the anger in it had been amplified. Snapping out of my own thoughts, I realised Dimitri's father wasn't giving his usual smug retort. Moving closer to father and son, I could see why, Dimitri was choking him.

I blinked, trying to contemplate what I was seeing. Shit. Dimitri was choking his father. His _Royal_ Moroi father. I snapped into action, I grabbed a hold of my boyfriend, trying to pull him off, "Dimitri! What are you doing?!" I yelled. He ignored me. I don't even know if he knew I was there, or trying to pull him away. He was sort of locked into a state of nothing else mattered except his father. "Stop! You're choking him! Dimitri _stop!_" I continued to yell. I couldn't move him, as strong as I was, Dimitri was stronger. His anger also fuelled his strength; he was a dead weight against the Moroi. I started to panic, what if he seriously hurt him? Or worse. I tried again, trying to move him as I spoke, "Dimitri, stop this! Please!". Nothing. I saw the look in his eyes – pure anger and hate – Malice even. He wanted his father to suffer. If I thought I'd seen his anger before, it was nothing, _nothing_ compared with this. A chill ran down my spine. Even when he'd been a Strigoi, when anger had come natural, I'd never seen him like this. This was something else, and it freaked me the hell out. All those times, we'd spoken about loosing control, and how he tried so hard to avoid it, I realised, this was it. Seeing his father potentially causing me harm had pushed him too far. He'd lost it.

Then suddenly, another pair of hands grabbed him, trying to pull him back. It was Adrian. "Need some help, little Dhampir?" he asked. He wasn't joking around. I think he realised the seriousness of the situation. Or perhaps he saw the panic in me. I nodded frantically. Together, we managed to pry Dimitri away from his father. As Adrian and I pulled him back, the older man managed to move himself away from the wall. He backed up a little way down the alley, rubbing his throat and coughing a little. Dimitri wasn't finished with his father yet, he tried to lash out at again, but Adrian and I managed to hold him back, each holding onto an arm and shoulder. "Easy, dude" muttered Adrian. Dimitri ignored him; his focus was still on nothing but his father. After a few moments he seemed to relax a little in our grip. However, his expression never changed. I glanced at Adrian, he looked concerned. Dimitri's father, now a few feet away from us, began to chuckle.

I glared at him. I was just about to say something to shut him up, when he spoke to his son, "So much for that self control. You might want to think about working a little harder on that, my boy". I wanted to wipe that smug look off of his face. If I wasn't holding on to Dimitri, I would have done. Royal or not, he was pissing me off. Dimitri muttered something in Russian, I didn't know what he said, but from the tone, I don't think it was pleasant. Apparently his father understood the words, because he grinned and said, "Now, now, let's not be uncivilised". Then, it happened so fast, that neither Adrian nor I could stop him. Enraged, Dimitri ripped himself from our grip and lunged at his father. He reached out with a fist and punched him in the face. The Moroi's head snapped back, and blood splattered. "Dimitri, no!" I yelled at him. Both Adrian and I leapt forward, grabbing him again and pulling him back, just as he was about to punch his father a second time. Man, this was going from bad to worse; I knew I had to defuse the situation, but I had no idea how. In any normal situation, I would have put myself between the two of them, but I couldn't let go of Dimitri as I knew Adrian wouldn't be strong enough to hold him by himself. Dimitri's father looked back at his son, dabbing the blood from his nose and lip. I don't think Dimitri had punched him hard enough to break his nose, but he did punch him pretty hard, so the guy must have been in some sort of pain. If he was, he didn't show it. I expected him to be furious. I expected him to even attack his son. I braced myself for it. But he didn't. He just stood there, and then he laughed. What the _hell_ was wrong with his guy? I saw Adrian glance at me; he was as shocked as I was.

Dimitri lunged again. But both Adrian and I were ready. We managed to pull him back, "Dimitri, _stop_" I said. "Let it go, dude" said Adrian backing me up. Dimitri was now breathing hard, trying to fight our grip. Adrian turned to Dimitri's father, "I think you'd better leave, pal" he said, in a pissed off tone. Dimitri's father looked at Adrian, as if seeing him for the first time. I think he recognised him, but if he did, he didn't comment on it. "_Now_" Adrian added. Surprisingly he obeyed. He gave his son one last look and headed down the alley, in the opposite direction to which we had entered. Suddenly Dimitri shouted after his father, "This is not over!" he yelled. "Dimitri – _Let. It. Go_" I told him angrily. His father turned back to us, "Oh no, this is _far_ from over" he agreed. This time his tone was as dark as his son's had been. And it worried me. It was as if father and son had just declared war on each other.

When his father had finally walked out of sight, I slowly released my grip on Dimitri, and after a few moments Adrian followed in suit. I watched my boyfriend move a few feet away from us. He walked over to a wall, bracing his hands against it, hanging his head slightly. He let out a loud breath, trying to calm himself. Adrian turned to me, "You okay?" he asked, concerned. I nodded. "Can you give us a minute?" I asked him quietly. He looked over towards Dimitri, then back towards me, "Yeah. Sure" he answered. His tone was a little stiff. I watched him head towards the alley's entrance, the one we'd entered from, and just before he exited, I called out to him, "Hey. You guys may as well head home. We'll see you back at the house". He nodded and turned to leave. "Adrian", I called again. He turned back to me. "Thanks" I said, with a slight smile. He nodded, returning the smile, then left.

I let out a deep breath, and turned around, ready to deal with Dimitri. Turning to face him, I saw he was already walking towards me. He reached me and said, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What did he say to you? Are you okay?". I ignored his questions. I was angry and upset with him. In my anger, I attacked him, shoving him backwards, hard. Shocked, he stumbled, but didn't fall down. All he could do was stare back at me. "Are you _crazy_?!" I yelled at him, "What the _hell_ is the matter with you?!". I think my voice came out a little hysterical. I hadn't meant it too, but suddenly, Dimitri choking his father flashed in my mind again, like the scene was on replay or something. With those images replaying in my mind, my fear came rushing back with them. "Rose—" he started, but I cut him off, "I've _never_ seen you like that" I told him, trying my best to keep my voice level. I don't think I managed it very well. "I'm sorry" he said. He was trying to apologize, but I wasn't done with him yet. "Do you even know what that was _like_ for me?! I know you. You're all about control. But, I saw your face, Dimitri. I know it takes a _hell_ of a lot for you to loose it, but with him… you were someplace else. _And it scared me!_". Those last words hit him hard. I could see it on his face. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to scare you" he said quietly. He took step towards me, "Believe me. Roza, that's the last thing that I wanted". I did believe him. Of course he hadn't meant to scare me. This wasn't even about me; it was about him and his father. His words didn't make me any less angry with him though. "If Adrian hadn't of been here, I don't even want to think about what could of happened!" I continued to rant, "What the _hell_ is it about this guy that makes you loose it like that?!". He didn't answer me right away. He avoided my eyes when he finally spoke, "It's complicated…". I crossed my arms over my chest and gave a short, sharp laugh, "Complicated?" Was that the best he could do? "He may be your father, but he's Moroi – And _Royal_. What if he reports this?!", He looked at me and spoke in an assured tone. "He won't". "You don't _know_ that!" I shot back at him.

He sighed, and ran a hand over his face. He then walked over to the nearest stack of crates and sat down. Leaning his elbows on his knees, he clasped his hands together and stared down at the ground for a few moments, before looking back up at me. "I'm sorry" he repeated. With my pissed off expression, I just stared at him – and then I softened. I let out a sigh, walked over to where he sat and dropped down next to him. "Me too. I'm sorry for… the ranting. I was just… I'm worried about you. When it comes to him… I'm scared how far you'll take this. I'm scared of what you'll do". He glanced at me as I spoke, then after a moment he put his arm around me. "So am I. I'm scared of what I'll do", he said, his tone was barely a whisper. My eyes widened, I hadn't expected that. He sighed again, and didn't look at me when he spoke; he stared ahead at the opposite wall, "Rose… when it comes to my father… I can't help how I feel. I see red. And no matter how hard I try to control myself around him… sometimes… something snaps inside of me". I didn't really know how to respond to that. I didn't know much about Dimitri's life before we'd met. Only the odd few bits and pieces he'd given away. Yes, a few months ago, I'd travelled to his home town in Russia, looking for him. He wasn't there, but I'd stayed with his family for a while, and they'd told me a few stories of his childhood. But no one had mentioned his father. Dimitri had once told me that his father used to beat up his mother, and at thirteen years old, he could no longer stand by and watch, so he'd come to her defence and beat up his father himself. When I met his mother a few months after he'd told me about it, I felt an incredible sense of anger towards this man who I'd never met, because Olena Belikov was a sweet and kind lady, who had treated me – practically a stranger – like one of her own daughters.

I didn't have to worry about a reply, because Dimitri carried on, "When I saw him with his hands on you – on someone else that I love…" he was thinking about his father hurting his mother, I assumed. "I…" he shook his head slightly, "Like I said, something just snapped". "Dimitri… I wasn't in any danger. I could have handled it. I've taken down bigger guys than him in High School. I've taken down Strigoi. I've taken down _you_ – _as_ a Strigoi". He nodded slightly, "I Know… Some part of me knew that. It's just… it was _you, _and—" I cut him off, "And you have a sense of overwhelming need to protect me?" I said, trying to lighten mood a little. When he'd threatened Victor, I'd been so shocked that I'd later asked him if he'd of ever gone though with that threat. He'd told me that he'd do a lot of things to protect me. Back then, I wasn't sure whether that had been 'yes' or not, but I now, seeing what he did – or had tried to do – to his father, I understood just how far he was prepared to go to protect someone that he loved, and that it could well have been a 'yes'. And I wasn't sure I liked the idea of that. He turned to face me. I had meant my words as a joke, but I don't think he saw it as one, because his tone was serious, "Yes" he replied, "I do".

Once again, I didn't know how to reply to that, so I said nothing. Sitting there looking at him, I realised that he'd just opened up to me about a part of himself that he rarely ever talked about. Dimitri always did the right thing, he put on a good face, he kept his control, it was how he was. For a long, long time he had tried to hide the fact that, a lot like me, he sometimes he had trouble maintaining that control, be it anger, or something else – his feelings towards me, for example. But, I'd figured it out. I remember that moment as clear as day. We'd been in the Gym, at the Academy. Back then, he was still my instructor, so any kind of romantic relationship between us was forbidden – and well, technically illegal. However that didn't stop our feelings for each other. I had been worked up that day, my mother had arrived at the Academy, and well, long story short, we weren't getting along. I remember, what with all my anger and frustration towards her, and towards the fact that I wanted him – knowing that us being together was an impossibility, I'd spontaneously kissed him. I was sure that he wanted me too, but I was still shocked when he'd kissed me back. After he'd broken off the kiss, we'd fought about it, and that's when I'd realised, he wasn't as 'Zen' as he made himself out to be. He wasn't always in control like he's said, sometimes he slipped. I had discovered a new side to him – and his true feelings towards me. Past thoughts pushed themselves the back of my mind, and I remembered why we were sitting in an alleyway. I wanted to talk to him more about why he hated his father so much. I don't know how I knew, but I just had a feeling that there was much more to his hatred than what the man had done to his mother. Well, I thought to myself, he's opened up to me this far, perhaps if I pushed just little bit more…

I bit the bullet, "Dimitri… there's more to why you hate him so much than what he did to your mom. I _knew_ there is". He tensed, and then removed his arm from my shoulder. Damn. Had I gone too far? Despite knowing that I should shut up about it, I continued to push, "He did something else. Didn't he? To you… or someone you care about?". A deafening silence fell between us. I watched Dimitri as he once again stared at the wall. I held my breath, waiting for his answer. After what seemed like ages, he finally spoke. He kept his focus on the wall; his tone was low, almost strained, and there was a hint of anger in it. "Yes. My mother was not the only person in my life who he hurt…". Pain spread across his face. I felt guilty for pushing him on this. He turned to me, this time when he spoke, his tone was different, it wasn't harsh, but it was deadly serious, and final. "But Rose, there are things that have happened between me and my father that I am not ready to talk about. And I don't know if I ever will be". I swallowed. Shit, that sounded serious. "I don't wish to keep things from you, but please, _please_ don't ask me to talk about it". I slowly nodded, taken back a little. I don't know what I had expected him to say, but I hadn't expected him to say _that_. I hadn't expected him to openly admit that he was keeping something from me. Whatever had happened between him and his father was bad, _really_ bad, I realised that much. I desperately wanted to know what his father had done to make him react in the way that he did when he was around him. But, I loved, understood and respected Dimitri enough to know, that right now, that part of his life was a no go zone. The topic, right now, was closed. "Okay" I said, as I put my arm around him. I felt him relax slightly – as if my agreeing not to push him anymore was taking a huge weight off of his shoulders. Once again, I felt bad for how far I had already pushed him. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly. He nodded in response. As we sat there in silence, I wondered if he was thinking about whatever it was that he didn't want to talk about. I lent over and rested my head on his shoulder, trying to offer him some kind of comfort. After a few moments, he put his arm around me again, and lightly leant his head against mine.

* * *

End of Part Four! What did you think? There's more to come. I'm currently working on Part Five.


	6. Ghosts: Part Five

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Five)  
**_"_It was like, parts of my brain wouldn't connect, and I couldn't work out what to do: run to him, or flee from him_"_

Hey guys. Once again, thanks for the reviews. It all means a lot. I love to hear what you think of the story and what you think about where I'm taking this. Please keep reading (and reviewing!). There's more to come.

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Five" of "Ghosts". A few of you think Rose is acting like an idiot, keeping things from her friends, well, here you go, Situations come to a head, things are said, and feelings are bared! Enjoy!

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I SCREAMED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE what I was seeing, it wasn't real. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be. It was a hallucination. That was it. He'd lured me here, to this old warehouse, and he'd made me think I was seeing this. He was evil, I knew that. But he wouldn't do this, he wouldn't. Not this. Shaking, I slowly walked over to where she lay, at an awkward angle. I dropped to my knees beside her, her neck was covered in blood, her throat had been ripped out. I reached out and touched her blonde hair. My hand bushed her skin. She was still warm. I realized then, this _was_ real. It was very real. Tears ran down my face, I started to sob, "Liss… Oh god… No…". I was her Guardian, and I'd failed to protect her. She was gone, my world had been shattered. My sobs grew louder and more uncontrolled as I looked around at the scene before me. Christian lay a few feet away from us, blood surrounded him. Then beyond him lay Adrian. I didn't have to get any closer to them to know they were also dead. I wanted to lie down next to Lissa, go to sleep and never wake up.

A door creaked open behind me, and he entered. Their murderer stared down at me. I stood up and turned to face him. "Hello, Roza. You got my message, I see" he said, smiling coldly. "Why?" I managed to choke out between sobs. "Why?" he asked. "Yes! Why?! What did they ever do to you?!" I screamed at him. "They kept you from me, Rose. It's as simple as that". I couldn't believe his words. His logic. I wanted to hurt him with every fibre of my being. I let out a hysterical scream, and charged at him, lashing out hard with my fist. It connected with his chest, but he didn't even flinch. He smiled at me, "Come on, Rose. You can do better than that. I _taught_ you better than that". His tone was cold – and almost chastising. I continued to punch him as hard as I could. Right, then left, right, then left. I was fighting with anger and pain, I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, so my work was sloppy. He easily blocked most of my blows, but didn't fight back. He didn't need to. He laughed at me. That made me even madder. I picked up my pace and began to hit him even more violently. Which was useless, some part of me knew that. I wasn't doing him anymore damage, just tiring myself out faster. I kicked out with my legs, but he dodged. Something told me I couldn't beat him. He knew me. He knew my moves. After all, he'd taught them to me. Thinking of my friends, thinking of Lissa, I wanted him to kill me. I existed to protect her, and without her, I had nothing else to live for. Maybe if I pissed him off enough, he'd snap, ending my life instead of turning me.

I forced myself to lock into that Shadow-Kissed rage. Beating on the man – now monster – that I had once loved. I forced myself to not think of him as Dimitri, not even Strigoi Dimitri. After what he'd done, he was gone to me now. He was just another evil creature that I had been trained to kill. I wasn't facing Lissa, Christian or Adrian, but I could see their broken and bloodied bodies in my mind. "Rose, stop!" snapped Dimitri, "You are not hurting me. You are only hurting yourself. I don't want that". I couldn't believe his twisted sense of reason. He wanted me. He wanted to turn me, to make me like him, so we could be together, forever. Yet, he didn't like to see me hurting. So then why had he murdered the people who meant so much to me? I ignored his words, refusing to let go of that rage, he was going to pay for what he had done, somehow, I was going to beat him and kill him.

I'm not sure how it happened, maybe he was letting me win, but a few minutes later, I landed on top on him. Straddling my enemy, I pulled my silver stake from my belt, and with both hands, I poised it over his heart. He laughed at me again, not seeming at all worried. "What are you going do, Roza? Kill me? You tried that, remember? As I recall, it didn't work out". His words made me hesitate. A soon as I did, I knew it was wrong. How many times had he taught me _never to hesitate_? It was all he needed to push me away. Quickly, he reached up, grabbed me hard by my arms, and flipped me over. As I hit the floor with a thud, I lost my grip on the stake. It left my hand and rolled out of reach. Now in reverse positions, he held my arms across my chest, firmly in place, so I couldn't move. "You can not beat me" he told me. I tried to struggle in his grip, but he was too strong. "I know you don't understand the reasons for what I did. But soon you will. I want you, Roza. And I know you want me". "You're wrong" I told him venomously. "I don't want you. Not anymore". He'd gone too far. He'd hurt me in a way that he could never take back. I despised him. I hated him with every thing I had. I never thought I could feel that way towards him. "You're lying" he said. "No" I answered, my tone was so hollow, it even shocked me, "I am really not". From the look on his face, I think he believed me.

"Rose...". Looking up at him, hoping I looked as angry as I felt, I heard someone call my name. It was faint, sort of like something between an echo and a whisper. Their voice sounded desperate. "Rose…" I suddenly realised, I knew that voice. I'd know it anywhere. It was Dimitri's. But, how? I was looking right at him, and his mouth wasn't moving. He was just staring down at me. The voice continued to repeat my name, over and over. As it spoke, it seemed to becoming more desperate, frightened even. And it was getting louder too. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out. I had bigger problems to deal with right now.

I opened my eyes again, this time the voice matched the movements on Dimitri's lips. His tone was different. It was concerned. It was warm. "Rose? Are you alright? Talk to me". I blinked. The room seemed to have darkened somehow. What the hell was going on? I stared up at him. Memories of what he'd done to Lissa and the others surged though me, and just like that, my anger was back. "Get the hell off of me!" I shouted, struggling. To my surprise he immediately released me. It was then I noticed that he was no longer straddling me. He was sitting besides me, leaning over me. I hadn't seen him move. I must have had my eyes shut longer than I had thought. Scooting backwards quickly, I scrambled away from him – and somehow lost my balance – I fell. I hit the floor with a thud. Looking up, I saw I'd fallen off of a bed. What the hell? Since when had there been a bed? I grunted in pain. I didn't have time to consider my surroundings right now. I had to deal with Dimitri. "Rose!" came his voice. It sounded worried. I stood up, and in seconds he was standing in front of me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I ignored him. Another one of his mind games. Wonderful. My fist shot out and connected with his face. He stumbled back. After a moment, he righted himself and stared at me, "Rose… what are you—" he stopped when my fist shot out at him a second time. He dodged the blow. I went for a third, "Rose, stop!" he said. There was something different about his voice, something… familiar. But it didn't matter, nothing had changed. He was going to pay for what he'd done. I took at a jab at him again, but this time he caught my fist, and held it tight. Damn, I couldn't move it. I came at him with my other fist, he caught that also.  
Then, somehow – and I have no idea how – he'd never taught me this move – he twisted me around, and the next thing I knew, he had restrained me. He was holding me tight against him, one arm was around my upper chest, and the other was fixed around my stomach, stopping my arms from moving. "Let me go!" I shouted, struggling against him. "Rose, I don't know what is going on with you, but you have to calm down" he told me, his tone was level. Enraged, I ignored him, and continued to struggle, "Get me go! I'll kill you! Do you hear me? _Let me go_!" I screamed. "Rose, please" he seemed to be begging me. Still enraged, I let out strangled scream. I wriggled in his grip, struggled to free myself – without any luck. He had me immobilized. In my frustration, more ear piercing screams left my lips.

Suddenly the door bust open. Dimitri spun us both round, Adrian came flying in; behind him came Lissa and Christian. I eyed them all, panic rose inside of me. Oh my god, Dimitri hadn't killed them – he'd turned then into Strigoi. They were like him. No. No this couldn't be happening. It was now four against one. How the hell was I going to get out of this? Did I even want to? I struggled against Dimitri once again. He tightened his grip on me. "What's going on?!" Adrian shouted, eying Dimitri, "Let her go!". Okay, now that didn't make sense. Adrian was on my side? No. No, I decided, there was no way he could be. I struggled again, thrashing violently in his grip "I'm going to kill you for what you did to them!" I told my captor. "Rose, please. Calm down" said Dimitri, this time he sounded desperate. I continued to struggle against him. I think my efforts were paying off, because I was sure I felt Dimitri's grip loosen a little. Lissa must have noticed too, because she turned to Adrian and Christian, "Help him!" she ordered. Adrian came towards us first, "No! Don't!" shouted Dimitri. I think he guessed what I was going to do. Using my upper body strength, I lifted myself off the ground and kicked out hard with my legs. My feet connected with Adrian's stomach and the blow sent him sprawling a few feet across the room. Christian came next, I did the same move on him and he too landed not far from Adrian. It happened so fast that Dimitri's warning had come too late. Both of them looked up at me in shock. They also wore pained expressions. I'd hurt them. Good.

I knew I had to break Dimitri's hold on me, but how? He was too strong. Suddenly, I had an idea. I snapped my head back with as much force as I could muster, smashing the back of my skull into his face. I heard him grunt in pain, and seconds later, he released me. Was I awesome, or what?! I quickly moved out of his reach, and scanned the floor for my stake. Where the hell was it? I knew it hadn't rolled far. Damnit, I couldn't see it anywhere in the darkness. Even with my Dhampir eyesight. I'd have to find it later, any second Dimitri would recover from my blow and he'd be on me again. I swung myself back to face him, landing a punch to his face, then another to his stomach. He doubled over; I'd knocked the wind out of him. I stepped back, and landed a hard kick to his chest, he stumbled back. I knew I couldn't give him time to recover, so I lunged forwards, pulling more punches. He blocked a lot of them. I wondered why the hell he wasn't fighting back. It seemed a little odd, but I didn't have time to think about that right now. Whatever the reason, he was making it easier for me. And that, in my book, was a plus.

I stepped back again, and landed another hard kick to his stomach, he went down. I was about to make another move, when suddenly Lissa screamed at me, "Rose Stop! Stop! What are you doing?!" Something in her voice made me look across the room at her. Then, a rush of emotions shot through me. Fear, shock, worry, panic. They were coming from Lissa. This made me stop dead. The bond was still working between us. How could that be? If she was dead, if she was a Strigoi, I wouldn't be able to feel what she was feeling. Adrian stood up, and then held out his hand to Christian, helping him get to his feet. I stared at them. If Lissa was alive, then… so were they. I shook my head, trying to make sense of the situation. Dimitri picked himself. "Rose…" he said. His tone was soft. I stared at him for a few moments, before glanced around, surveying my surroundings. Then, it hit me. As if someone had pulled a blindfold from my eyes, I realised where I was. I was in my room. Not in that warehouse. It had been dream. Dimitri had not murdered my friends, they were alive. I slowly turned back to everyone. Oh god, I'd attacked them all, well, everyone except Lissa. The four of them were staring at me, worried how I'd react next.

I backed away from them, stumbling. I began to hyperventilate. Oh god, what had I done? It seemed impossible to me now… how the hell could I have thought I was still in that warehouse? Dimitri took a step towards me, "Rose, its okay…". What? Was he serious? Like hell it was. I'd just attacked the people I loved, hell bent on killing them. He reached out to me, but I moved backwards, as I did, I tripped over something. I lost my balance and crashed to the floor, landing on my ass. As he rushed towards me, I scooted backwards, and didn't stop until my back brushed against the something – a bedside table. Seeing me do this made him come to a stop.

After a moment he took another couple of steps towards me, and then crouched down to my level. He extended one hand towards my face, and, I couldn't tell you why, but I tried to move backwards. Of course, I couldn't move any further. "No! Get away from me!" I shouted at him. He pulled his hand back, but otherwise didn't move. Some part of me, I think, knew he was my Dimitri, and not that monster from my nightmares, but I couldn't shake those images of Lissa and the others from the dream. They flashed in my mind like a slideshow. I stared at him, one part of me wanted to fly into his arms, but another part of me was telling me to get away from him as fast as I could. It was like, parts of my brain wouldn't connect, and I couldn't work out what to do: run to him, or flee from him. "Rose… It's okay. It's me" he said softly. His voice was warm, caring, but concerned. Surely this should have persuaded me one way or the other? Normally, I think it would have done, but oh god, those images… Lissa dead… blood… He sounded like my Dimitri. But, what if he wasn't? What if this was just some sort of game? More images flashed in my mind… Christian… blood... Adrian… blood. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block them out.

When I opened my eyes, he spoke to me again, his concern had grown, I could just about make it out on his face, "Rose, it's _me_". I stared at him, into those dark eyes. In this light, I couldn't quite see if they were filled with that love I knew, that deep brown that I so often lost myself in, or if that brown was ringed with that red I'd come to loathe. I swallowed. I had to be sure. "Turn on the light!" I shouted. Nobody reacted; I panicked again, "Turn on the fucking light!" I screamed. Somebody did, I think it was Lissa. The brightness burned in my eyes for a moment. I recovered and looked up at Dimitri, searching his face. Those eyes, warm brown, looked back at me, no red. I briefly closed my eyes, letting out a silent breath of relief. When I opened them again, he was staring back at me. Shock had replaced his concern. I swallowed. Did he know? Had he figured it out? I hope to god he hadn't, I didn't want him to know what I my nightmares where about, and I certainly didn't want him to find out like this. I felt a single tear ran down my face, and the next thing I knew he reached out to me and gently wiped it away. "Oh Roza…" he whispered, so quietly that I barely caught his words. That's it. I broke.

The tears came rushing down my face, and sobs escaped my lips. He lent forwards on his knees, as I pulled myself up and into his chest. He caught me as I crashed into him, wrapping his arms around me as I buried my face into his t-shirt, my hands slipped around the back of him and I held onto him tight. He cradled me in his lap as I continued to cry. I knew my friends were watching, I hated that they were seeing me cry, but at that moment, I just didn't care. I felt like I had been through so much tonight. "It's okay… it's okay…" he whispered. He spoke slowly, gently rubbing my back, trying to sooth me. "It's over. You're okay, it's over…". I wanted to tell him that I was sorry. Sorry for what I'd done to him and the others, but I couldn't find my voice. The tears and sobs continued to come and I couldn't stop them.

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on my bed, Lissa sat next to me, Dimitri sat in the chair by the window, and Christian and Adrian were leaning against a wall, not far from each other. Dimitri had let me cry myself out, and, much to my embarrassment now, my friends had just stood there, watching – probably having no idea how to react. "Rose, are you sure you are okay?" Lissa asked me for the third time in five minutes. I hadn't given away much to them. I'd told them that I'd had a nightmare, and that I thought I was still living it when I had woken up. Which, for the first time, wasn't a lie. To my relief, no one had asked me what it was about. Yet. I managed to look her in the eye; her worry was still coming through very strong. "Yeah. I'm fine" I choked out, trying to find a voice to match my words, "Embarrassed a little. Actually, a _lot_. But, I'm okay now". She gave me a hard stare. Through the bond, I could tell she didn't believe me. "I'm _fine_. Really" I tried to assure her. "No, you're not" said Lissa, putting her hand over mine. I opened my mouth to protest, but she carried on, "Rose, I _know_ you're not. I may not have the ability to know what you're thinking, but you're my _best_ friend. I know _you_". I didn't know how to respond to that. She wasn't wrong. I wasn't as okay as I was trying to make out to be. I glanced across the room at Dimitri. He sat watching the four of us. He looked deep in thought. Lissa continued, "You told us the dreams were 'no big deal'. But, what happened just now, was _far_ from that". Damn. She had me there.

Christian piped up, "She's right. Rose, that wasn't normal". I sighed. Before I could argue with them, Adrian joined in, "I'm with them. Rose, you need help. You need to talk to someone. If not us, then someone… else". What?! I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. My defences kicked in, "Are you saying I'm crazy?!" I asked him. My tone was louder than I had intended it to be. "No. I'm saying you need help. There's a difference" he answered in a firm voice. I was about to protest that I didn't need any help, that the dreams would pass soon enough, but he carried on, "You have a problem, Rose". I glared at him; he was talking like I was some kind of drug addict. He turned to Dimitri, looking for support, "Back me up, here!". Dimitri didn't answer him – Christian did, "He's right. You need to talk about this". I ignored him and turned back to Adrian, "I have a problem?!" I challenged him. "Yes!" he shot back. "You _do_. Look at you right now! Look at what the nightmares are doing to you!". Okay, now he was pissing me off. And, why the hell was he getting so worked up about this? Come to think of it why were any of them getting so worked up? They were talking like this was a life or death situation. I continued to glare at Adrian, "I told you, I'm fi—", Christian cut me off, moving a step towards me, he shouted, "Rose! If you tell us one more time that you are 'fine', I will come over there and personally _kick your ass!_". I swallowed. Wow. I would never have expected that from Christian. Lissa and Adrian's faces mirrored my own shock. We all stared at him. I snuck another glance at Dimitri. He also looked a little shocked at Christian's outburst. I wondered why he hadn't chimed in with his own two cents yet, since everyone else seemed to be attacking me. Or, if he was on my side regarding the whole situation, then why he hadn't he come to my defence?

I sighed. "What do you want me to say?" I asked, trying to calm my self. Nobody answered me. Lissa spoke up after a few moments, her tone was gentle, "Talk to us. We just want to help you". I scoffed, "Help me? By yelling at me?". I tried to keep my voice level, looking at my friends one by one, as I spoke, "By telling me that what's happening isn't _normal_? That I need _help_? That I have a _problem_?". My voice grew a little angry, "You think _that's_ helping? Because let me enlighten you..." I told them, my voice seemed to be moving into upset territory, I seemed to be swallowing back tears, shaking my head. "It's really _not_". I turned away from them, forcing myself not to break down. My eyes locked onto Dimitri, he still was deep in thought, but as normal, his expression wasn't giving away much. He was watching me, I knew he could see my discomfort, but he didn't get up. God, all I wanted to do at that moment was to fall into his arms. "Rose…" said Lissa quietly. I turned back to her; an incredible sense of guilt shot though me. "You're right. Yelling at you isn't helping. None of us meant to do that. We're just worried. We want you to talk to us. We want to help". I sighed. Although I was mad at them for attacking me like that, I knew she meant what she said. They were my friends, they all cared about me, and yes, they wanted to help. I came to a decision. I was going to tell Lissa about the nightmares. I don't think I could bring myself to tell the guys, but I'd let Lissa tell them if she thought they needed to know. However, I couldn't tell her tonight. Too much had happened. As for Dimitri, I decided that I still couldn't bring myself to tell him about them. I was still convinced that he was better off not knowing.

After a few moments I said, "I get that. I know you guys want to help… But can we please talk about it in the morning?". Through the bond Lissa asked, _Talk? About the nightmares?_ I nodded at her. "Okay" she said out loud, "We'll talk in the morning". She got up from the bed and turned to her boyfriend and Adrian, "Come on you guys. Rose needs some rest". They both looked surprised at how easily she'd given this up. They obviously didn't know that Lissa had got what she wanted, my agreeing to talk to her. "That's it? We're just dropping the whole thing?" asked Adrian. To my surprise it was Dimitri who spoke next, he remained sitting in the chair as he said, "Yes. Rose needs to rest". Adrian gave him a pissed off stare. I saw Christian glace at Lissa. No words were spoken between them, but he understood not to press this any further right now. With a few more words spoken between the three of them, they left the room, closing the door behind them, leaving me and Dimitri alone.

Through the bond, I followed them into the hallway. I wanted to know what was said. They didn't say much, actually. Adrian told Lissa that he felt like an idiot for shouting at me, and that he hadn't meant to, but he was just worried. Christian pretty much said the same thing. Lissa told them that they'd all done wrong by me, and that they all should have handled it better. I could feel that she felt awful, _really_ awful. She felt like she had let me down. My angry feelings towards them melted away, and I almost broke out of her mind and ran after her. I wanted to tell her that she was a good friend, and that if the roles had been reversed, I'd of probably done the same thing. Just before Adrian headed back to his room, she called out to him, "Adrian. Please," she shook her head, "No visits tonight. Just let her alone". He sighed, pissed off that she knew what he was going to do. "Fine. No visits" he agreed. With that he headed into his room and closed the door. I pulled myself out of Lissa's mind, and breathed a sigh of relief; after the way Adrian had looked at me as he left my room, I knew I was going to get a visit from him in my dreams. Apparently Lissa had seen the look and also realised what he was planning. I was grateful to her for that.

I turned to Dimitri, he still hadn't moved from where he sat. His expression hadn't changed much either. He still looked deep in thought. "Thanks" I said, "For the bail. I'm not sure I could've handled—" he cut me off, "Why didn't you tell me?" his voice was low and quiet. There was the smallest touch of anger to it. "About the nightmares?" I asked. "I did. You knew about them". I knew that wasn't what he meant, I was playing ignorant. "No. Why didn't you tell me what they were about?" Shit. He knew. But, how? Then I realized. I remembered his shock when I'd searched his face for those red eyes. I'd hoped he hadn't figured it out then, but he had. Unease washed over me. Before I could say anything he carried on, "You told me that you didn't remember the details. You lied to me, Rose. And that is not okay". He spoke in that same low and quiet tone, but now there as a serious note added to it. I swallowed. Guilt washed over me. I averted my eyes, staring down at my hands. I couldn't look at him. After a few moments he sighed. "I blame myself". My head shot up. That's exactly what I hadn't wanted to hear from him. "What? No! No, see, that's the exact reason why I didn't tell you!" I heard a hint of desperation in my voice, "I _knew_ you would blame yourself. And I didn't want that. This, what's happening, is _not_ your fault!" I told him. He stood up, and walked over to the bed. "It's not your fault!" I repeated, desperately trying to make him understand that.

He sat down next to me, "Rose" he said softly, taking my hands in his, "You're dreaming about the thing that I became. You're hurting because of _me_. Because of what _I_ did to you. How that can not be my fault? How can I not be blamed for that?". Our eyes met as he spoke. His face was filled with guilt, and his eyes… they looked so full of sadness. "Because it wasn't _you_" I argued back. "You didn't _choose_ to become a Strigoi. You didn't have a choice". He shifted his gaze from me and looked down at our entwined hands. He shook his head lightly before looking back at me, "Maybe not" he said sadly "But that doesn't change the fact that it happened. And that you're hurting because of it". I sighed. What could I say to that? He was right. Silence fell between us. Ugh, that seemed to be happening a lot lately. I hated it. When I broke it, my own voice surprised me, "I don't want you to blame yourself" my tone came out much more upset that I had meant it to. "I… It hurts me to think that I'm hurting you. After everything you've been through, and—" Dimitri interrupted me, "Rose—" I shook my head, cutting him off, I had to get this out. I had to make him understand, "No, let me finish" I told him firmly. "I don't blame you for one second for what happened in Russia… at Galina's. I went there knowing what you were, what you were capable of. That, now you were a Strigoi, you weren't _you_ anymore. Yes, I wanted to kill you, because I wanted to give you peace. Because I knew if it was the other way around, you would have done the same for me". As I spoke, I could feel a lump forming at the back of my throat. No, I told myself, do not cry, hold it together.

"And yes, I _hated_ what you'd become. But once I saw you… even as a Strigoi… once we spent time together… I knew it was wrong, on _every_ level I knew it was wrong. That it wasn't really you. Not you, _you_. But, I still…". I could feel the tears forming in my eyes. Oh great. I swallowed them back and kept going. Dimitri didn't move a muscle as I spoke. "I couldn't help it… I still _loved_ you, even though you couldn't love me back, not really. Because…" I sniffed away tears. "Because, you were my _heart_. You _are_ my heart". That was it; I couldn't hold them back any longer. Tears slowly rolled down my cheeks. Dimitri didn't wipe them away this time; he just sat there watching me, listening. "You make me _feel_ things that I thought I never could. I'm happy when you're happy. I'm sad when you're sad. I hurt when you hurt. And, I _died_ when you died". His expression wasn't giving away much, but I thought I caught a hit of shock. I tried to sniff away any more tears that threatened to fall, "You want some to blame for what happened? For what's happening now? _Blame Nathan_. _He_ started all of this. _He_ turned you. _He_ ripped us apart". There. I'd done it. I'd told him everything I'd been desperate to say to him since he'd changed back, everything said I never would.

For a moment, he didn't do or say anything; I think he was still taking it all in. Then, he reached out to my face, and held his hand gently to my cheek. After a moment, he leaned forwards and kissed me. The kiss was so full of love it made my heart skip a beat. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled back and looked me in the eye, our faces only a few inches apart. "Nathan ripped us apart. But you, _you_ found a way to bring us back together" he said quietly. "And _that_, Roza… what you did, was nothing short of incredibly amazing". Through my tears, I let out a short laugh, "Incredibly amazing, huh?". He nodded. "I want you to know, everything you just said, about how you feel, it mirrors my own feelings. What you did for me… no words exist to tell you how grateful I am. I love you, Roza". "I know" I told him teary eyed, "I get it". He gave me a slight smile. I reached up at and wiped away my remaining tears. "God. I'm crying all over you. _Again_. You must think I'm an emotional wreck". I said, once again, a little embarrassed. Why the hell could I not stop myself from loosing it lately? He shook his head, "I do not think that" he told me. "You sure?" I asked, aiming for a light moment. "Yes" he smiled. Well, that was something at least; it was sort of comforting to know that the man that I loved wasn't going to cart me off to rehab anytime soon.

We talked a little more for a while. He asked me a few particular things about the nightmares. I'd told him what he wanted to know, but I'd kept it brief. There were still things that I couldn't bring myself to tell him. He didn't push me at all. I think he was just glad I was talking about them. Then, for a long while after that, we just laid together, not taking at all. Just taking comfort in each others presence. I think what I had said was still going round in his mind, because when I snuck the occasional glance at him, he looked like he was thinking about something. I was glad that I'd finally opened up to him. It felt so good to get it out. Like a huge weight had been lifted from me. I still wasn't a hundred percent sure that telling him had been the right thing to do. But, well, it was done now. I don't think my opening up to Dimitri had convinced him that he wasn't to blame for the things he'd done to me or others while he was a Strigoi – or what was happening to me now. I could tell him every day that 'it wasn't really him' or 'he didn't have a choice', but right now, he wasn't ready to let go of that blame. I may have forgiven him, but he wasn't ready to forgive himself. I wished I could do something to help him deal with his guilt and sadness, but I knew that I couldn't. He had to deal with it on his own; he had to take the steps to forgive himself, by himself. No one else can do that for you. I'd learned that with Mason. All I could do was be there for him. I just hoped that something I said would help somehow. I don't know what time I finally fell asleep in his arms, but I was glad that I didn't have any more nightmares, and that Adrian had kept his promise to Lissa.

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End of Part Five. I hope you enjoyed it. I will be starting Part Six soon. Stay tuned!


	7. Ghosts: Part Six

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Six)****  
**_"_Dimitri's words came rushing back to me, _how you act tonight, may just affect your future as Lissa's Guardian"_

Thanks for the reviews! I love reading what you guys think. Just a quick note, some have commented on my style of writing. I've tried cutting down my paragraphs so they're not so huge. I'll continue to do that. I've also had a go at spacing my lines out, but I just can't write like that, I'm sorry. How I write is just the "style" I use, and what comes naturally as I type. I hope people can deal with that.

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Six" of "Ghosts". This chapter is a little longer than the previous ones. I had lots to fit in, as well as small scenes turning into bigger ones, lol. Plus, I wanted to leave this chapter at certain place. Just to keep you guys hanging. Yes, I'm mean like that. Haha.

Sorry it look a little longer than normal, but it's here now, and I hope you enjoy.

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WHEN I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING, I opened my eyes to see Dimitri looking at me. He was lying next to me, propped up on his elbow. His gorgeous brown hair hung forwards slightly, so it sort of framed his face. His expression was loving, but thoughtful. And he was wearing a very slight smile. It looked almost… goofy. I'd never seen him smile like that. I blinked, trying to wake myself up. "Morning" he said. His tone was soft, his slight smile never fading. "Morning" I replied, groggily. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "Watching you" he replied quietly. Okay, that was new. I think. It suddenly occurred to me, how the hell would I know if he watched me on a regular basis. After all, I'd be asleep. "Why?" I asked him curiously. After a beat, said, "Because you are beautiful". I could help by smile to that. I think I blushed a little too. After a moment, I managed to find my voice again, "How long have you been watching me?" I questioned him, amused. "A while" he answered, his smile growing a little. I smiled, happiness flowing into me.

Then, I suddenly had a thought, "I… I didn't drool, did I?" I asked, embarrassment jolting though me. Ugh, how mortifying would that be? He laughed and shook his head slightly, "No" he confirmed. He leant down and placed his lips on mine. The kiss was wonderful. Soft and gentle – the perfect thing to wake up to. It only lasted a few moments, then he pulled away, but kept his face close my own, "No drool" he smiled. "Phew" I answered, somewhat relieved. "Because, you know, that would, be…" I mumbled, searching for the words I wanted, but it was too early for my brain to function correctly, "… very, bed" I finished. Ugh. Did I just say that? Kill me now, I thought to myself – Before I say something worse. Dimitri laughed again, "You really are not a morning person, are you?". Looking up at him, I replied with a grin, "I'm really not".

He rolled over so that he was lying on his back, as he did I snuggled closer to him, resting my head against the side of his chest. He lifted his arm over my head and draped it round me. As normal, I felt safe in his arms. Like nothing bad could touch me. We lay there together for almost a minute, before he spoke, "Rose. I need to ask you something". "Mmhm?" I murmured, still wrapped in that dreamy comfort that he gave me. "I've been meaning to ask you for a while. And, after what you told me last night… I need to know". I suddenly realised the seriousness of his tone. "So, ask me" I told him. He hesitated for a moment, before continuing, "I want the truth. No matter what". Okay, now that didn't sound good. I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like his question. I craned my neck, so I could look up at him. He wore a serious expression. And his smile no longer showed. I swallowed. "Okay…" I said slowly, feeling a bit uneasy. I propped myself up so that I was leaning on my elbow, our eyes met. "That night… on the bridge" he began. Oh god. I suddenly realised what was coming. And I so didn't want to have this conversation right now. "If I had of said the words you wanted to hear… Would you of…" he couldn't finish. I knew what he was trying to ask, so I finished the sentence for him, "Would I have joined you?" I said quietly. "_Evil_ you" I corrected myself. He nodded. I sighed. It was the question that had spun in my mind since it had happened. Would he have said he loved me if we'd of had just a few more moments? And, if he had, what would I have done? Would I have joined him? I didn't know. I wish I had a sure answer, a 'yes' or a 'no'. But I didn't.

Dimitri didn't speak, or hurry me in any way, he just waited. Finally I said, "I don't know. That's the truth. I don't know what I would have done". I had no idea what kind of answer he was expecting, but after a moment, he nodded slightly. He seemed to accept the answer that I gave him. I laid back down, resting my head on his chest again. Neither of us spoke for a couple of minutes, I think both our minds were on the same thing: That night on the bridge. Eventually I broke out of my thoughts, laying my arm across his stomach, in a gesture of comfort and love. "I love you" I said quietly. I felt him kiss the top of my head, "I love you too, Roza" he told me, gently pulling me a little closer to him.

Thirty minutes later, we both finally made it out of bed, dressed and headed downstairs. My friends were all seated in the kitchen when Dimitri and I walked in. We exchanged brief and awkward good mornings. The room seemed to be thick with discomfort. Their minds on last night, I don't think any of my friends knew quite what to say to me. As I poured my coffee, all eyes were on me, even Dimitri's. When I couldn't bare it any longer, I forced myself to speak, "Okay. So, is anyone else feeling the 'awkward', here?". No one answered. After a few moments, Lissa stood up. Through the bond I could feel that she felt bad for me, for causing this awkwardness. _I shouldn't have said anything to them_, she thought to herself. By them, I knew she meant Christian and Adrian. I wondered what she'd said. Whatever it was, she was far from the cause of this situation. She grabbed my hand, "We're going out" she announced, to the room, rather than just me. "Girl time" she added, with a pointed look at the three guys watching us. And before I could object, she dragged me out of the kitchen, into the hallway and out of the front door. Presumably so I could keep my promise and 'talk' to her about what happened last night. As much as I loved my best friend, I so wasn't looking forward to this conversation…

Lissa had been my best friend since kindergarten, we'd shared everything together. Well, that was until we'd been dragged back to the Academy. Since then, we'd both kept our fare share of secrets; arguably, I'd kept more from her than she'd kept from me. But that was partly because of the bond. If it worked both ways, well, I didn't want to think about that. Best friends aside, there were just some things that she was better off not knowing about me.

"And… they're always about the same thing? Dimitri?" she asked. We'd found a quiet corner in one of the Courts coffee shops. I'd pretty much told her everything. Well, when I say everything, I didn't go into the specific details, like conversations in the dreams. I couldn't bring myself to talk about those. It was too hard. I think Lissa understood that. But, I had gone into a lot more detail with her than I had done with Dimitri. I didn't however; tell her about the part she'd played in my dream last night. That was too hard to talk about too. I sipped my Hot Chocolate. "Yeah" I answered, "They're always about Dimitri. Either him be turned, or… him wanting to turn me. Mostly him wanting to turn me". Through the bond, I could feel Lissa's strong feelings seeping into me. She was worried. She wanted to help me, but didn't know how. "Have you talked to him about it?" my best friend asked. Throughout the whole conversation, her tone had been gentle and understanding when she'd asked me questions. "Sort of…" I muttered, not looking at her. "Well, what did he say?" she asked, prodding me to talk some more. I looked up at her, "Say?" I asked sheepishly, "You mean, when I straightforwardly told him everything?". Lissa gave me a sympathetic look, "So, when you say 'sort of'…". I sighed, "I mean… I didn't give him much" I confirmed.

There was a moment of silence between the two of us, then she said, "Well, Rose, maybe it would help if you talked to him some more—". I cut her off, "No, Liss. I can't. I can't do it to him. You didn't see the look on his face when he realized the nightmares were about him. If he knew… more..." I shook my head, "I can't do that to him". Lissa didn't seem to agree with me, "He's stronger than you give him credit for, you know". I sighed again. I didn't want to argue about this with her. "Maybe he used to be. But since… Since we changed him back… he's changed, Lissa". She frowned at me, "Yeah, I can see that he's changed. I mean, going through something like that would change anybody, but—" I cut her off again, "No. He's _changed_. I mean, _a lot_" I told her firmly. My best friend knew I was holding something back from her. She saw it on my face, and from the tone of my voice. "Rose… what's going on?". Dimitri had wanted to tell her himself that he was resigning as her Guardian, but in that moment, I made the decision to do it for him. I needed Lissa to understand that he wasn't the same person that he once was. So, I told her – including the part about the possibility of Dimitri not going back to Guardianship at all.

Her reaction to it was pretty much the same as mine. She was shocked, she couldn't believe it. She was upset at loosing him as her Guardian. I know he was one of the few people that she trusted. And that had nothing to do with his relationship with me. But, Lissa being Lissa, she understood that he'd not come to the decision lightly. She understood that he was dealing with a hell of a lot right now. However, like me, she was gob smacked when I told her that there was a very strong possibly that he'd be quitting Guardianship altogether. She'd stuttered the same things to me that I had to Dimitri when he'd told me: That he was an amazing Guardian and that he was throwing away everything he'd worked for. I'd briefly explained his reasons for it, but I didn't go into much detail. I didn't think it was fair to Dimitri. He'd told me because we were together; I don't think he'd want anyone else knowing how he felt – Even my best friend. We talked a little more after that, and then decided to head back to the house.

We were almost home when I decided that I needed something to take my mind off everything, so I asked, "Hey, do you want to rent a DVD tonight? Something fun. I need a distraction". Lissa stopped walking and turned to me, "That would be awesome" she said, "But I can't. We have that party tonight, remember?". Party? What party? Then, I suddenly remembered. Tatiana, the Queen herself, was throwing a party for some Royal relation of hers. Lissa had been practically ordered to attend, as had Adrian. Christian, being the last_ Dragomir's_ partner – despite the fact that Tatiana despised their union – had been invited too. And Lissa had begged me to go with her. "Oh yeah…" I groaned. "I'd forgotten about that". Lissa smiled at me, "Clearly" she said, "_But_, due to everything that's happened lately, you are officially off the hook. You don't have to come". "Wow" I said, unable to hide a smile, "Really?". "Yes. Really" Lissa replied, grinning slightly. She knew I hated those Royal gatherings. As we continued on our way, I thought about the awesome friend that I had in Lissa. I felt a stupid not going to her sooner about the nightmares. I hadn't because I told myself that I didn't want her to worry about me, but now, I realized how stupid that was. Lissa was much stronger than I gave her credit for. Maybe if I'd have talked to her sooner, she could have helped somehow.

My thoughts turned to the party tonight, while it was awesome that I had gotten out of it, I felt bad. I felt like I was letting her down somehow. And, what had I just told myself? That I needed something to take my mind off everything. Maybe a party – be it even a Royal party – wasn't such a bad idea? "You know what, Liss?" I said, coming to a halt, "Screw it. I'll come". My best friend came to a stop also and stared at me, "Are you sure? Because, it's totally fine. I'll have the guys to keep me company". I smiled at her, "No. No, it's cool. I want to come. I need a distraction. And what is a party, if not a distraction?". Lissa laughed. "Okay, great! It'll be fun!" she said, sounding excited. "Yeah. Fun" I muttered with one of my forced smiles. A Royal party would be a distraction, yeah. But, fun? Hell _no_. Well, at least not _my_ idea of fun.

"So, are you _sure_ you don't want to come?" I asked Dimitri, as I brushed my hair. He sat on the edge of the bed, whilst I finished getting ready for the party. "Rose," he began in the low tone he used so often when talking to me, "We've been through this". I turned round and smiled at him, "Yeah, I know". I'd asked him to come to the party with us, but he'd declined. He said they'd been too many questions, and he wasn't ready to deal with those questions yet. Or an en masse of Royal Moroi. I could totally understand his reasoning, apart from anything else – most Royals sucked. I wondered if any of them would corner me tonight and ask about him. I hoped not. I put the brush back down and walked over to him. "So, how do I look?" I asked. I wore a plain knee-length Navy blue dress. It clung in the right places, but had a sort of flare to it as well. I'd borrowed one of Lissa's Black stylish cardigan type shirts (to cover my arms against the cold), which matched my black killer heals. "You look beautiful, Roza" he said softly. And he meant it. I grinned at him. I had to admit, I did look hot.

Dimitri pulled me onto his lap. "Just promise me something?" he said quietly. His words held a touch of seriousness to them, and he pulled an expression to match. "And what would that be?" I asked. "Please behave yourself tonight. No getting into any fights. No breaking any Royals' noses. No disrespecting the Queen". I mocked disgust, "Now, would _I_ do _that?_". He held my gaze, trying not to loose his seriousness. However, a hint of a smile broke through. Epic fail, boyfriend. "Yes" he replied, "I heard about the incident in Court". What? He barely leaves the house, how the hell would he have known about that? I couldn't help but laugh. A few months ago, the Queen had thrown me out of Court – after I'd called her a few choice names. "You know, in my defence… she deserved it!" I told him. "Rose—". "Okay! Okay, fine" I said, cutting him off. I held my up my hands, "I'll be on my best behaviour. I'll play nice. I'll smile, curtsy, I'll be polite". "Good" he said, "Because, how you act tonight, may just affect your future as Lissa's Guardian". I frowned at him. "You don't think the Queen will be watching you?" he asked. Huh. He was right. I hadn't even thought about that.

"Good point" I said, "She'll be watching me like a hawk. Just waiting for me to make the _slightest_ mistake". Dimitri did that cool thing with his eyebrow. My words had surprised him. "What? It's public knowledge that the Queen _hates_ me" I told him. "I don't think she hates you, Rose" said Dimitri. "Oh, she _does_. With a passion. She's thinks that I live for nothing else but to corrupt the last _Dragomir_. You should see the way she looks at me. Like I'm evil incarnate or something". Dimitri didn't respond to that, he just shook his head in aspiration. I suddenly had a thought, "Do you think I should change?" I asked, a little worried, "Maybe wear something more… Guardian-esque?". Dimitri shook his head, "No. Rose, if they appoint you as Lissa's Guardian, not only will you take on the normal role of Guardianship, but, in her case, you'll take on the role of her Collage Friend. It's important that you know how to blend. I expect they'll be looking for that. Which means—". "Wearing these killer heals?" I offered with a smile. "Yes" he answered, a smile spreading across his face. He loved my humour. And, I had to admit, I had a talent for it.

Ten minutes later, I sat waiting for Lissa, Christian and Adrian to finish getting ready. Geez, I thought to myself, yes, Lissa needed time to make herself look beautiful, but what was the guys' excuse? I sat in the darkened back yard on the wooden bench. It was a little chilly out, but nothing I couldn't handle. I thought about the night ahead, wondering what would be made of my appearance, after all, this was a Royal event. A Dhampir attending as a guest and not as a Guardian would certainly raise a few eyebrows. Dimitri's words came rushing back to me, _how you act tonight, may just affect your future as Lissa's Guardian_. Ugh. A nervous sensation began to spread though me. I knew it hadn't been his intention to worry me, but his words had. The Queen despised me as it was; I just hoped that I would be able to control myself tonight. In a way, I wished Dimitri was coming with us. I always felt more secure in his presence. But, I knew that if the two of us turned up at a Royal party together, well, that was just asking for trouble. And trouble was something I had to avoid.

A voice brought me out of my thoughts, "Hey". I turned to see Christian standing in the doorway. "Hey" I replied. Lissa's boyfriend stood there in his typical stance, with his hands stuffed into his pockets. What was not so typical for him, was his clothing. He wore a black and white tuxedo. "Nice tux" I told him. "Gee, thanks Rose. Remind me to make fun you of when—". Woah. Okay, hold on. I cut him off, "Hey, I was being sincere!". Christian looked at me, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, "You were?". "Yes!" I replied, a little put out that he hadn't recognized my being genuine. "Oh" he said, as he sat down on the bench next to me, "Sorry. That's not usually a look for you". He grinned at me – and I punched him on the arm. "Well," I began, "I figure, you and me have got to stick together tonight. Miscreants unite". He laughed at that. He knew as well as I did that the Queen detested the both of us for being an important part of Lissa's life. As far as she was concerned, people like us were beneath the Royals. Not fit to associate with the last Dragomir. "But, hey" I continued, "Screw the Queen. We're going for _Lissa_. Because _she_ wants us there. That's all that should matter, right". He nodded, "Yeah".

A weird silence fell between us after that. It lasted only a few moments, but seemed a lot longer. Christian broke it, "Rose. Can I talk to you?" he sounded a little serious. Very un-Christian-like. "We _are_ talking" I told him, attempting to lighten the mood. He gave me a frustrated look. "Fine, fine. Go ahead. Talk" I said lightly. He hesitated for a moment, then he seemed to find his voice. "Lissa told me about the nightmares". I looked down at my hands, a little embarrassed. I'd given Lissa permission to tell both Christian and Adrian about the nightmares, if she thought they needed to know – and apparently she did. She'd told Christian at least. I wondered if Adrian knew. "She did, huh?" I mumbled, not looking at him. "Rose, why didn't you come to _me_, of all people?" he asked. I looked up at him. What? Okay, I was confused. I think my expression must have shown it, because he carried on, "You don't think, that out of everyone living in this house, that _I_ might be the one person who could actually understand what you're going through?". Okay now I was really confused. I shook my head, "Christian, how could you possibly understa—" I cut myself off. Oh my god. It suddenly hit me. Now I understood why he was taking all of this so seriously. His parents had willing turned Strigoi when he was a little kid. They had come for him at Tasha's – who was now his only family – and tried to take him, intending to keep him around until he was older, then turn him themselves. But Tasha had fought them back, until Guardians had shown up and killed them both. Christian had witnessed it all.

"Your parents…" I muttered to him. He nodded. "And, you had nightmares about them after… afterwards". I didn't want to say after they were killed. He nodded again. Wow. I'd never stopped to think about how Christian had dealt with the situation after it happened. He could talk about it openly now – as much as Christian ever talked openly about anything. But when he did talk about it, there was always an air of anger in his voice. "I guess it's not the same as what you had to deal with. But I get what it's like to… to see someone you love like that. And to know that they want to turn you into something evil". I didn't say anything to that, I just nodded slightly. Yes, I did know. And, god, did it to hurt to think about it. After a moment I asked him, "How… how long did you have them?". I still wasn't able to look him in the eye. I really didn't feel comfortable talking about this. "The nightmares? A few months" he said quietly. "I remember…" he trailed off, unable to carry on with that train of thought. He sighed, and tried again, "I remember seeing their pale faces. Those red eyes… and their voices… they sounded the same, but they were, I don't know… colder, somehow". Wow. He might as well just have described Strigoi Dimitri. I asked him another question, "How did they stop?". This time I managed to look at him when I spoke. He gave me a brief smile, "I talked to Aunt Tasha. I told her about them. They didn't stop just like that. They just didn't come as often. Until eventually, they stopped altogether. Turns out, talking about them helped".

I sighed. I thought about what he'd said. There were differences in our experiences. He'd seen his parents as Strigoi yes, he'd loved them, and he'd seen them killed, _but_, he hadn't seen them get taken from him, he didn't have to fight them, and they hadn't played any mind games on him. They'd not held him captive for days, or fed on him, and they'd not sent him letters, or threatened to murder the people he loved. What Dimitri had done to me was far more intense. "Look," I told Christian, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but, there's a huge difference of what happened with me and Dimitri to you and your parents. I mean, you were just a little kid… and I… wasn't". I saw his face fall. Damn, I'd upset him. I felt bad, because this wasn't an easy subject for him to talk about, I knew that. "Yeah, there _is_ a huge difference, Rose" he said, by his tone, I could tell I'd pissed him off too, "_You_ got your happy ending, I _didn't_". I swallowed. Man, I could be such a bitch sometimes. My life right now was far from what I'd call a happy ending, but I knew what he meant. I'd got Dimitri back. He'd lost his parents forever.

I sighed. "I'm sorry" I told him, "I didn't mean it like that". He gave me a slight nod, seemingly forgiving me. "Thanks," I continued, "For telling me about it". He shrugged, "It's cool. I know what it's like. What they can do to you. Even when you're not asleep". A moment of silence fell between us again. Then he said, "I'm here okay? If you want to talk about it?". I smiled at him, and nodded. I was grateful for his offer, but I didn't think I'd take him up on it. I had trouble talking to the two people I trusted most in the word about this, so talking to someone else, even some else who I was close to, seemed, well, I wasn't about to do that. I was pulled out of my thoughts, and absolutely stunned by what Christian did next; he reached over and hugged me. It was a kind of stuff hug, but a hug none of the less. I stiffly hugged him back. We stayed like that for a few moments, which seemed to last forever. I liked Christian, I did. He was a close friend. We'd been though a lot together. Spokane for example, but, he wasn't the sort of friend that you shared a hug with. Was he? Thirty seconds ago, I would have bet money on the fact that Christian wasn't that type. I think he was thinking the same thing, because, from over my shoulder, he said, "Is this a little bit weird?" he seemed a little embarrassed. "A little bit" I replied, matching his embarrassment. With both pulled out of the hug at the same time, and our eyes met. Seconds later with both bust out laughing. "Tell anyone I just hugged you, Hathaway, and, I'm sorry, but I will have to set you on fire" he said in a mock-serious tone. He grinned at me, trying not to laugh. "Oh, don't flatter yourself, Ozera" I told him, with a grin to mach his own. With both laughed again.

Just then, Lissa spoke to me though the bond, _I'm ready, so is Adrian, let's go_. I stood up., "They're ready" I informed Christian. He stood up with a frown, "She just told me" I said. It suddenly clicked in his mind as to how I knew. "Oh" he said. "Come on, Pyro, let's get this over with" I said, walking towards the back door. I saw him rolling his eyes at the nickname I'd just chosen for him, "Yeah, lets" he sighed. I turned back to him, "Oh cheer up. You're spending the evening with the elite of the elite. Tell me you're not just a _little_ bit excited?" I teased, knowing his answer. Although he was technically a Royal himself (as was Tasha), apart from Lissa and Adrian, like me, he pretty much detested the rest of them. "Oh yeah. I'm ecstatic" he said dryly, sounding incredibly bored. I grinned. Yep, that was pretty much the answer I knew he'd give.

We arrived in the Royal Courts Ballroom just as it was getting dark. My mouth dropped open as we walked though the doors. I think this might have been the biggest room that I'd ever stepped foot in. I remember thinking how beautiful some of the rooms at the Ski Lodge had been decorated for Royal party use, but those had been fit for the poorest of the poor, compared to _this_. The entire room was decorated in gold and scarlet red. And, wait for it; yes, the hanging decorations and chandlers were actually made out of diamonds. A huge, tasty looking buffet, had been placed at one end of the room, there was a huge dance floor with a live band – playing some kind of music from the 80's, I think. Fancy looking tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room, and a head table had been placed to one side of the dance floor – this, I knew, was where the Queen herself would be seated, along with the guest of honour – the person who this event had been thrown for. At the far end of the room, a little way from the dance floor, there was a large bar, complete with a dozen stools, mostly occupied by Moroi. Behind the bar three Dhampir waiters stood pouring drinks. "Wow" said Christian. He looked as impressed as I was. "It's gorgeous!" agreed Lissa, also taken in by the beauty of the room. "Yeah. They've gone all out" chipped in Adrian. He didn't seem very enthralled by it all. Probably seen all of this a hundred times before, I realised.

A few moments later the four of us were shown to our table. We were seated not far from the dance floor, and not far from the bar either – much to Adrian's delight. Before I knew it, both me and Christian were by Lissa's side, as she did what she did best at Royal gatherings – mingled. She always felt as if she had to do this, for the respect and honour of her family line, seeing as she was the last of them. And tonight was no exception. As always, she acted in the correct way and said all of the correct things, as well as throwing in one or two of her points of view regarding the ways of the Moroi. And, as always, people seemed to flock to her. I guess it helped that she looked particular stunning tonight. She wore long pale blue silk dress – which seemed to dazzle in the ballroom lights. She had picked out heals to match, and she'd put her blonde hair in a tight, but elegant bun. The small amount of make up she'd used was just enough to bring out her jade eyes.

"You know…" sighed Christian, "Adrian has the right idea". I turned to face the direction in which Christian was staring. Adrian sat at the bar, in his expensive looking dark grey tux, empty glasses surrounded him, and he was holding his glass up for yet another drink. I had to agree, he did look as if he was enjoying himself. Drinking myself stupid seemed like a very alluring thought right now. It would be way more exciting that sitting at a table staring at the remains on my dinner plate. But I knew there was no way I'd be able to party tonight. I was to be on good behaviour. "Yeah, but he'll feel it in the morning" I replied. Christian turned to face me. "Who are you, and what have you done with Rose?". I rolled my eyes at him. "Seriously," he said, "Since when do you not drink at a party?". I sighed, "Since this is a Royals party. Since the Queen is sitting right over there, and since I'm supposed be on my best behaviour". "Oh" he replied. He seemed somewhat disappointed. The two of us had been sitting here together for the last hour. After standing by Lissa, watching her work her magic – pun intended. I think she'd finally noticed how miserable Christian and I were. She'd taken pity on us and told us to go and sit down. So Christian and I headed back to our table. I'd kept a close eye on her as she continued to talk to the elite of her race.

"Screw this" muttered Christian as he stood up. "What are you doing?" I asked him, suddenly a little worried. "Going to the bar. You want anything?". God, did I ever. Anything to kill the boredom. _No, Rose, behave!_ I chastised myself. I snuck a look at the Queen – and I could have sworn she was looking directly at me. I turned back to Christian and sighed. "No. I'm good…" I muttered. He gave a shrug and left. I watched him head over to the bar and began to chat with Adrian, probably asking him to buy him a drink, as Adrian was over the legal alcohol age. I wondered if I should go after him. I knew Lissa wouldn't like him messing about in front of the Queen. And I didn't doubt that Her Majesty be watching him as well as me. I was just about to get up when Lissa sat down next to me. "Where's Christian?" she asked. I pointed to the bar. Adrian was now handing him a glass of something like looked suspiciously like whisky. "I think Adrian is a bad influence on him" I told her. She groaned, and then without another word she headed for the bar.

Through the bond I could feel worry seeping into Lissa. She was worried that the Queen would notice him at the bar of all places. She desperately wanted Tatiana's approval of her relationship with Christian. I really felt for her, because I knew what the Queen thought of Christian. She didn't consider him a Royal. And she certainly didn't consider him good enough for the last Dragomir. It seemed that she had firmly made up her mind, and nothing Christian could do was likely to change that. I knew this because it was more or less the way she felt towards me. I wasn't good enough to be Lissa's friend. I just held on to hope that when the time came she could see that I _was_ good enough to be Lissa's Guardian. I hoped the Bond would help with that decision. I watched my best friend discreetly drag her boyfriend back to our table. He slumped back down in his chair, "You're no fun" he told her. "Christian, the Queen is sitting right over there" she chastised him. "I don't care about the Queen, Liss" he shot back. "Well, I do!" she snapped back at him. I could feel more and more worry sweep over my best friend, anxiety was beginning to creep in too. Why was Lissa so desperate to impress the Queen tonight? I couldn't read her. Whatever the reason was, she was shielding it from me. We'd have conversation about that later.

I kicked Christian hard under the table. I think I caught his leg. His head snapped in my direction, I shook my head slightly and gave him my best pissed off look – which I hoped said 'drop it'. I hoped I done it in such a way that Lissa hadn't noticed. Christian sighed and turned back to his girlfriend, "I'm sorry" he told her. She gave him a nod, accepting his apology. I did feel for Christian, as much as he'd agreed to come tonight, I could tell he knew he was being watched and scrutinized by the Queen (hell, so was I), and he was doing his best to act like it didn't matter. Only it did matter, because he loved Lissa and he wanted to make her happy. His momentary lapse at the bar had been his 'I don't give a shit what people think' face that he so often liked to wear. After a moment, Lissa stood up, "Do you want to dance?" she asked her boyfriend, holding out her hand. Christian's face lit up, "Sure" he replied with a grin. He stood up and took her hand. Lissa looked back at me. She wondered if I'd be okay here by myself. "I'm fine" I said, reading her thoughts, "You go. Just do me a favour?" I pointed to the dance floor, "There's nice empty spot over there, just in front of the Queen's table. Take it" I told her, with a grin. She smiled and shook her head with aspiration.

For the next twenty five minutes I sat and watched Moroi guests dance the night away. It was the part of the evening when couples headed to the dance floor and that slow, romantic type of music began to play. I sighed. Watching Lissa and Christian, a pang of jealousy shot though me. Right now, I'd give anything to be up there with Dimitri. Just the two of us, in our own little world… I'd never actually danced with him, or even seen him dance, but, I bet he was good at it. He seemed the type to be. I sighed again. My thoughts turned to Dimitri himself; I wondered what he was doing right now. Probably engrossed in one of his Western Novels.

Just then, Adrian sat down next to me. "Little Dhampir, you're all alone". I wrinkled my nose up at the stench of his breath. Alcohol. Gross. He drank on a daily basis – to help with the side affects of Spirit – so, I knew it took a lot for him to reach his limit. He wasn't quite there yet. But I could certainly tell that he'd knocked back far more than usual. He wasn't drunk, but close to it. "That I am" I told him with a sigh. He held out his half filled wine glass, "You want a drink?". I shook my head. "Oh, come on, Little Dhampir, it's a _party_". I gave him an annoyed stare. "No? Okay then. More for me" he said. And with that, he downed the remainder of the wine. I shook my head at him, and found myself watching Christian and Lissa again. They moved together, dancing slowly to the music. They both held happy and relaxed expressions – Through the bond, I could feel Lissa's emotions mirror her expression. I smiled at them; it was nice to see them like this. They looked as if neither of them had a care in the world. I thought of Dimitri again. I wondered if they'd ever be a day in our lives where we'd not have to worry about anything except each other. I doubted it. We weren't that lucky. Dimitri. Once again that pang of jealously came back, and I wished it was the two of us up there. Adrian brought me out of my thoughts. He'd noticed me watching our friends, "Aren't they a picture?" he said. I wasn't sure if he'd meant that in a sinecure or sarcastic way. "They are" I answered, with a nod.

He moved slightly closer to me, "So," he began, "Are we just a _little_ bit jealous, then?". I snapped my head towards him. How the hell had he known? Was I that transparent? "She's my best friend! Why the hell would I be jealous?" I snapped. Adrian was grinning at me. I wasn't amused. I hated that he'd figured me out. "Because you wish it was you and Belikov up there" he stated. I didn't answer. He was right, and he knew he was. "Whatever, Adrian" I said. He laughed, "Oh Rose. You forget that I know you so well". I glared at him. "No. You don't" I argued. He laughed again. "You know, the two of you should have come together tonight. Screw everyone else". A part of me agreed with what he said, but the other part, the more reasonable part, knew there was no way that could have happened. If Dimitri and I had shown up here, to a Royal Moroi party, together… well, we'd certainly have been center of attention. In a very, very bad way. "You would have liked that, wouldn't you?" I asked him. I'm sure he would have found it hilarious. "Hey, it would have been total entertainment" he grinned, "Because, god knows, we need some…" he finished with a sigh. He may have been drinking, I realised, but he was just as bored as I was.

A moment later, he slipped his hand over mine, "How about the next best thing?" he asked me softly. "What?" I asked, confused. He smiled, "Can I have this dance?" he asked. What?! Was he crazy? He wanted a slow romantic dance with me? Hell no. I knew he still had feelings for me, and no way was I going to add fuel to that fire. "No, you can not" I told him, pulling my hand out from under his. His smile faded. And, geez, I felt awful. I may not have any romantic feelings for him anymore, but I still considered him a close friend, and I still cared about him. A part of my brain told me, _oh what the hell, what was the worst that could happen?_ Then, I remembered: Fuel. Fire. Also, the fact that the Queen, his Aunt, who hated me, as well as our friendship and brief romance, was sitting just twenty feet away from us. No. No, my first reaction was the right one. "Oh come on" he insisted, "There was a time when I wouldn't have had to ask twice". I sighed. Yes, there was. When I'd come back from Russia, I'd said I'd give him a shot at the two of us dating. And I had. It had been nice, but, my heart had always belonged to Dimitri. Deep down, I think Adrian always knew that. And when Dimitri had come back into the picture, well, I'd had to, with a heavy heart, call things off with Adrian. He and I just didn't have the fire that Dimitri and I had. It wasn't fair to either Adrian or myself. I knew what he was talking about regarding the dancing. He'd taken me to my senior Prom. "Come on. Dance with me. It'll be fun" he said, continuing to push. Okay, I'd said no already, and he was now pissing me off. I abruptly stood up, "I said _no_, Adrian!" I snapped. And without another word, I stalked away.

Deciding that I needed five minutes away from everything, found myself leaning against the wall in a narrow hallway, which led to the ballroom's bathroom facilities. The music wasn't so loud here, and I was able to actually hear myself think. I let out a sigh. Maybe the party wasn't such a good idea after all. Just then, the door to the men's room opened. I wasn't prepared for who stepped out into the hallway, and honestly, he was the last person I needed to come face to face with at that moment. Dimitri's father. "Why, if it isn't Rose Hathaway" he said in his usual smug tone. "This would be the last place I'd expect to find _you_" he continued. I knew what he'd meant by that. This was Moroi party. A _Royal_ Moroi party. I was likely the only Dhampir guest. "Likewise" I bit back, "I didn't think they let _scum_ in here". His face twisted slightly, I'd pissed him off with that remark. However, he chose to ignore my words. Smirking, he walked over to me, and placed his left hand on the wall beside my head. My defences rose, he was too close.

He leaned his face in towards mine, "You should be careful, little girl. You are not as cleaver as you think you are" he said. His tone was low, almost a whisper, and sort of dangerous. He was trying to frighten me. I gave him my best hard expression, "I am _not_ afraid of you". He chuckled a little, then his expression turned serious again, "You should be" he said, in that same tone. "And so should _he_". I knew he was referring to: Dimitri. "I've told you before, mess with me, get in my way, and there will be consequences. _Personal_ consequences". Wow. Was that a threat? "Things are far from over. You make sure to tell him that" he continued. I was just about to return a threat, when I heard my name. "Rose?". Both I and Dimitri's father froze for a second. Then, our heads snapped to our right, to the sound of the voice. It was Adrian. Dimitri's father pulled away from the wall and stood up. Adrian was looking at me, concern masked his face. "Is everything alright?" he asked me. He turned to look at the older Moroi, "Should I be calling scarcity?". Dimitri's father looked from me to Adrian, "We were just having a friendly chat, that's all" he said to his fellow Royal. "Right" replied Adrian, stiffly, obviously not believing him, "So… Isn't it about time you headed back to the party?". Taking the hint, Dimitri's father gave Adrian one last look and walked away.

Adrian watched him go, and then turned back to me. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yes" I replied firmly, "I'm fine. I'm not afraid of that guy, Adrian. I can handle myself, you know". He gave me a frustrated sigh, "I know that, Rose. It's just… He's not the kind of guy to get mixed up with. From what I've heard… he's bad news". What could I say to that? Yeah, he was. Really bad news. I changed the subject, "So, what are you doing here?". "Huh?" asked Adrian, he seemed thrown. "What are you doing here?" I repeated, "I assume you came looking for me? Or did you just need the bathroom?". Adrian smiled, "No. I came looking for you. I wanted to apologise". Okay, that, I wasn't expecting. "About what happened… You're with Belikov now. I was out of line. I'm sorry". "Yeah. You were" I told him. "But thanks" I said, softening slightly. After all, he had just saved me from the clutches of Dimitri's father. Adrian sighed, "You want to get back to a _really boring_ party?" he asked. "Yeah. Okay" I replied with a smile.

Ten minutes later, I was sitting by myself again. Adrian had wondered off, probably looking for something else to drink, or to chat up some girl. Maybe both. My thoughts turned to Dimitri's father. _Things are far from over. You make sure to tell him that._ That didn't sound good. It sounded as if he had some kind of plan for Dimitri. And that worried me. Just then, Lissa sat down next to me. "Hey" I said, smiling at her. She was giving me sympathetic look. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. "Go" she said, still smiling. "Go where?". "_Home_. Go home. I can see this is torture for you". It was. I swear, if I had to sit here any longer, watching all these Royals, I was going to scream. I sighed, "I'm that obvious, huh?". Lissa laughed. "You've done the best friend duty. You came. So, I'm now letting you off the hook. Go home. Spend some time with Dimitri. Besides, I don't think we're going to stay much longer anyway. I know Adrian wants to get out of here as fast as he can. And, I'm pretty sure this is Christian's idea or hell". I laughed. She wasn't wrong there. We said our 'see-yous-at-home' and I headed for the door.

As the house came into view, I saw Dimitri sitting on our doorstep. "What are you doing out here?" I asked, as I stepped onto front path. He stood up as I walked towards him. "Getting a little air" he replied. I reached him; we embraced and kissed in greeting. After a moment we both pulled out of the kiss, but still held on to each other, our arms around each others waists. "Sitting out here by yourself" I teased, "Don't tell me those western novels are getting boring?". "Never" he said, with a smile. I laughed. "You're home early. The party sounds like its still going. What happened?" he asked me. I heard a hint of concern in his tone. "Nothing _happened_" I told him. I decided I'd wait until later to tell him about his father. "Lissa let me off the hook. She sent me home". "Oh" he answered, somewhat relieved. "You thought I did what? Hit somebody? Made a scene? Got thrown out?". He smiled at me, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time, would it?". "Hey! I can behave, you know! It doesn't happen often, but it _can_ happen" I told him jokingly. He laughed.

I paused, listening to the music from inside the main area of the Royal Court. Its volume had travelled across campus to the residential area. You could make out the lyrics of the song, but it wasn't loud, it was a sort of faded background noise. I recognized the song. Yay, I thought, a song that had been released sometime _after_ I was born. It was quite modern actually. It was a slow song, I couldn't remember its name or the band, but I liked it. I sighed. "Now why couldn't they have had the _decent_ music when _I_ was there?". Dimitri smiled. "You like this song?" he asked. I nodded, "I do". He let go of his hold around my waist, took my right hand in his own and slipped his other hand around my back, then began to slowly move us both to the music. "What are you doing?" I asked, looked up at him with a smile, fully knowing the answer to my own question. "Dancing" he said, smiling back at me. "Right here?". "Yes," he replied, "Right here". Wow. Public much? Okay, so our front lawn wasn't technically public. It was dark, most people were at the Party, so we were alone out here. But still, I hadn't pegged Dimitri for this kind of thing. Back at the Academy, we could never _do_ this kind of thing. Perhaps that why he was doing this? Because things were different now.

I slipped my free arm from his waist to higher up his back, and began to move to the music with him, turning my head, and resting it on his chest. This felt good, really, really good. This was what I'd been fantasising about for most of the evening. After a minute or so, still leaning my head against him, I spoke, "Dimitri?" I said, blissfully happy. "Hmm?" he answered, matching my own tone. "This is how it should be with us. This is perfect". He kissed the top of my head, "It is" came his soft reply. We continued to sway together to the music, both of us feeling the comfort from each other. It was moments like this, I realised, that made everything we'd been though, all of the pain and the heartache, worth it somehow. Okay, so there were still things we had to deal with, but right now, they were forgotten. We were both together, and we were both happy. We had to take those kinds of moments when we could get them in this life. I'd learned that the hard way.

The night's air was beginning to get a little chilly, I shivered in his arms. Dimitri noticed and moved his head down towards mine, "Are you okay?". "Yeah. Just a little cold" I muttered. If he'd been wearing his leather duster, I knew he would have given it to me. As it was, he was just wearing a sweater. He must be feeling the cold a little as well. "Do you want to go inside?" he asked. Did I what? Hell no. This was too perfect. I shook my head, "No. No I'm good here…" I replied with a smile. He gave me a nod, returning the smile and we continued to slowly move to the music. We danced through two or three more songs. Wrapped in his arms, even if I was a little cold – although his body heat helped with that – I realised I had been right. Dimitri was a good dancer. He moved perfectly in time with the music. And I wondered where he'd learned to slow-dance like this.

"Check out the lovebirds!" came an amused tone from behind us. Dimitri and I both spun around in shock. Neither of us had sensed anyone approaching. Lissa, Christian and Adrian stood before us – all three of them wearing huge grins. It had been Christian's amused tone that had startled us. Embarrassment flooded through me. I wasn't embarrassed to be showing affection towards Dimitri, but I _was_ embarrassed to be dancing out on our front lawn. I wondered if my checks had gone red. God, I hoped not. I glanced at my boyfriend; he looked as embarrassed as I felt. "No, please," said Adrian, amusement filling his face, "Don't stop on our account". "Shut up" I muttered at him. Lissa turned to the guys, "Oh, knock it off" she chastised them. She then turned to me, "I think it's sweet" she said, with a huge smile. I looked from her to Dimitri. He was smiling now, seeing the funny side. I couldn't help but laugh. Okay, yeah, once you got past the embarrassment of it, I guess it was a _little_ funny.

"Okay. Yes. _Busted_" I told the three of them, with a smile. "But you know what? I think—". I cut myself off, spinning round to face the line of trees that stood at the end of our block. A wave of nausea rolled over me. No. Not here. Here at the Royal Court, we were protected by wards. Here we were supposed to be safe. _They_ couldn't harm us. _They_ couldn't get in. But then, that was once said about the Academy. And look what had happened there? From the things I'd seen, I should have known better. We were never completely safe from them. I turned back to everyone, "Get in the house!" I said. My tone sounding oddly terrified. "Rose, what's going on?" asked Lissa. She knew my tone. She knew something was seriously wrong. Christian and Adrian had also lost their grins. My stomach gave a lurch, as the nausea continued to roll over me. Dimitri took a step towards me. He could read me, I knew he could. He knew what was going on. And he'd paled. "Get inside. All of you. Now!" I shouted. But it was too late. We all saw them at once. A pack of four Strigoi emerged from the shadows of the trees, and stalked towards us.

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End of Part Six. I hope you enjoyed it. As I said, it was a little longer than I first intended.  
I will be starting Part Seven soon. Stay tuned!


	8. Ghosts: Part Seven

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Seven)****  
**_"_We killed them to stop them from killing us and the Moroi. But there was a line when it came to taking them out. And, tonight, I'd crossed it_"_

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Sorry guys, this one took a bit longer than I had expected. Planning for Christmas and New Years kind of slowed me down. Please keep reviewing, it makes me happy. And a happy author is a faster typing author!

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Seven" of "Ghosts". Yep, last chapter I left you guys hanging. I am so mean, I know. Well, here you go, Fight scene! Enjoy!

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AS THE FOUR STRIGOI STALKED towards us, I had trouble comprehending what was going on. Somehow, they'd penetrated the wards protecting the Royal Court – Human help was my guess. But even then, how had they managed to get – undetected – passed the countless Guardians that patrolled the Courts grounds? Then it came to me. Most of them would be guarding the party. The rest? Killed maybe? I didn't see any blood on them… yet.

Lissa's fear brought me out of my thoughts and crashing back to the situation at hand. Oh god, this was bad. I was one lone Guardian, responsible for protecting three Moroi and Dimitri, who I knew was in no condition to win a fight. I'd have to do this by myself. I fumbled for my stake – but it wasn't there. I looked down at what I was wearing. Crap. A dress – a _long_ dress. How the hell was I going to fight in this? And why oh why didn't I have my stake on me? What kind of Guardian would I be if I didn't carry it at all times? Even to a party. Stupid, Stupid! Lissa's fear was mounting, and by the looks on Adrian and Christian's faces, they shared her fear. I glanced at Dimitri. I couldn't read his expression. It wasn't quite fear, it was… well, I wasn't sure. But whatever it was, it freaked me out. He was pale, and his eyes – I'd never seen him like this before – He was just staring ahead. Like he was in some kind of trance, frozen to the spot.

Okay, I had to take control here. If I had any chance of taking out even one of the Strigoi, I'd need a weapon. My eyes frantically searched my surroundings for something, anything. But there was nothing. I swore to myself. I'd have to use my body as a weapon and hope that— Wait. I suddenly realised, I _did_ have a weapon. Christian. I whipped round to face him, "Christian! I need you to—" he cut me off, knowing what I wanted from him, he stepped forwards, "On it" he said, raising his right arm. Flames shot out from his hand, and hit the first Strigoi, who was now just feet away from us. He lit up like a Christmas tree. Screaming, he dropped to the ground, rolling, trying to put out the flames. Christian dealt him another fiery blow. Kicking off my heals – best case scenario they'd slow me down, worst case, I'd brake my ankles fighting in them – I went for the second one. I landed a kick to his stomach – not easy in this freakin' dress – making him stumble back. I then quickly landed a few punches to his face, dodging his own hits in-between. I was lucky; he was a newly turned Strigoi. Meaning, he wasn't used to his new found powers. And, by the looks of him, he'd been a Moroi before he was turned. Another stroke of luck – he was a sloppy fighter.

Somehow, I managed to knock him to the ground, which gave me a few seconds to see what was going on with the others. Lissa and Adrian stood behind Christian, unable to help in this fight, while Christian himself was still shooting out flames. He'd managed to severely burn the first Strigoi who had attacked us. The other two were backing off slightly, afraid of Christian's fire. My eyes fell on Dimitri. He hadn't moved. He was fixed to the spot, staring at the Strigoi. "Dimitri!" I shouted, "Move! Get back!". My shouts were in vain, he didn't move a muscle. The Strigoi I was fighting jumped to his feet and lunged at me. I wasn't quick enough, and his fist smacked into the side of my head, knocking me backwards. Pain surged though me, and black spots danced in my eyes, but I forced myself past it. Though the bond, I felt Lissa's terror rise. I whipped round to face her, but she was, for the moment, safely behind Christian, so I turned back to face the Strigoi. He came at me again, but I managed dodge his blow, and landed one of my own to his chest. However, it didn't have much impact, as it wasn't as precise as I would have liked. We traded more blows, both of us dodging and taking hits. Suddenly his speed increased, and he lunged at me again, sending a hard kick to my chest. I flew backwards, the wind knocked out of me. As my back hit the ground, more pain shot though me. God, I'd feel that tomorrow – _if_ I lived to see tomorrow.

I tried to get up, but the pain in my back and stomach refused to let me. As I raised my head, I saw the Strigoi coming at me again. Crap, any second, I knew he'd be on top of me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something lying on the ground – one of my heals. It suddenly hit me: I had a weapon. I grabbed it, knowing I had one shot to use it. Forcing myself past the pain, I sat up, and with both hands, I held the shoe out in front of me – the thin, long heel facing outwards – hoping to god that this would work. If it didn't, I was screwed. The Strigoi, now just feet away from me, dived in for the bite, but I was ready, and with as much power as I could, I drove my hands forward. The Strigoi never saw it coming; I pushed the heel into his chest. His eyes widened and his lips parted. I pushed harder, hoping the heel was long enough to reach though to his heart. Seconds later, his body went limp, and he crashed downwards, landing on top of me. I gave a grunt as I rolled his body off of me. Sitting up, I looked down at the monster. I knew he wasn't dead, I'd not punctured his heart with a Silver stake, but, the shoe – still sticking out of his chest – had been enough to stun him. He'd be out for six or seven minutes. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was alive – for now. I picked myself up, ready to face my next enemy.

Looking around, I saw Christian throw more flames at another Strigoi, and my god, he was doing well. If ever they needed a fire wielding Moroi in battle, Christian should be called upon. But where were the other two? Suddenly Lissa screamed my name. Her fear shot though our bond, and exploded inside of me. I whorled around to face her, expecting the worst, expecting to see a Strigoi coming for her, but she was fine. She stood next to Adrian, safely behind Christian and his magic. Then it hit me. Why hadn't I sensed this right away? Her thoughts came though loud and clear. It wasn't her life she feared for – it was Dimitri's. Fear now rising inside myself, I followed her gaze, and, what I saw made my heart stop, the other two Strigoi were on him – And, _shit_… he wasn't fighting back.

For a few seconds, I couldn't react. I just stared ahead. Suddenly I was back in my nightmare. One of the very first ones that I'd had. It had been a similar situation to what I was in right now. Dimitri, Lissa and I had been out walking together, when a pack of Strigoi had attacked us. One of them had grabbed Lissa, another two had held me back and another two had gone for Dimitri. For some reason, they weren't interested in hurting me or Lissa, they wanted Dimitri. And _only_ Dimitri. I hadn't been able to save him. I was too late to stop them from ripping his throat out. Breathing hard, I shook myself out of the memory. Staring at the scene before me, it was like I was having a sickening case like_Déjà View. I couldn't stop the images form the dream from flashing in my mind. Lissa screamed my name again, and somehow I managed to snap into action. "Noooooo!!!". Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I heard my own scream leave my lips. It was something between a primal battle scream and a shit-scared shriek. For a few seconds, I was sure everyone _– _including the Strigoi _– _had stopped to stare at me. But I didn't care, my heart thumping ferociously, threatening to explode from my chest, I ran towards the man I loved, the man who meant everything to me, and the man who was seconds away from loosing his life. No. I would not let this happen; I would not loose him. Not again. As I ran, I saw Adrian run towards Dimitri, but Christian pulled him back, and seconds later a flame shot past me; hitting the nearest Strigoi in the back. He ignited, cried out and let go of Dimitri, then fell to the ground, rolling in the grass, trying to put out the flames. _

This now left one Strigoi on Dimitri. As I ran towards them, I willed myself to run faster. My eyes locked onto Dimitri, it was like he was just frozen. Had fear got the better of him? I don't think I'd never known him to be afraid. I was just feet away from them when I saw the Strigoi bend down for the killing bite. No, no, no, no, not again. No, this wasn't happening! Not again! I flashed back to the caves. I saw Nathan grab Dimitri and pull him to the ground, then lean in for the bite. Seconds later, I broke out of the memory and I was back in our front yard. Finally, I'd reached Dimitri and the Strigoi. Without breaking a stride, with two hands and as much power as I could muster, I ripped the Strigoi from my boyfriend. I think I saw Dimitri stumble to the ground, but I wasn't completely sure. I knew he was alive, and that what mattered. Right now my attention was focused on my enemy. I shoved him away from me, and he hit the ground, hard – I don't think he'd anticipated my speed. He turned back and looked up and me. The first thing I looked for was any sign of blood around his lips. There was none– which meant he hadn't bitten Dimitri. If I'd of had time to breathe a sigh of relief, I would have done. The Strigoi picked himself up and snarled at me, angry that I'd interrupted his meal. As I looked into his red eyes, his dark features faded, and somehow I was looking into the face of Nathan.

Staring into the face of Nathan brought back everything he had done to me. His taunts about killing Lissa, threatening to turn and then kill me at Galena's, but most of all what he'd done inside those caves: ripping Dimitri from my life and turning him into a monster. Something inside of me just snapped. I'd never felt anything like it before – I couldn't tell you what it was exactly, or where it had come from – rage, hate and darkness consumed my mind and boiled inside of me. It was a lot like when I'd taken Spirit's darkness from Lissa. Except this time, it felt much more consuming, much more primal. I kicked out at the Strigoi, hitting him squarely between the legs. He yelled in pain and sank to his knees. My mind began to buzz, and I felt the sounds of my surroundings fade out. It was like I was watching a movie with the volume on mute. Some part of me realised that I didn't really know what I was doing. All I could see was that scene in the caves. It was like it was on repeat. Nathan. Dimitri. Nathan. Dimitri. Then, all reason began to fade, and I felt myself punching and kicking out at Nathan, my moves working at a rapid pace. After a while I felt liquid cover my hands. I knew it was blood. I told myself I should stop, but I couldn't. The darkness that swelled inside of me wouldn't let go. _He's going to pay for what he did! I'm going to kill him!_ As I continued my assault on the Strigoi, I was sure I heard bones break, but I didn't care. He wasn't going to take Dimitri from me again. I wouldn't let him.

Suddenly the volume of my surrounds came rushing back. I heard someone yell my name, but I was too focused on hurting Nathan to make out who it was. I continued to punch out at him, one fist after the other connected with his face, blood splattering everywhere. Then I felt someone's hands pull me back. I was just about to turn round and take a swing at them when I saw who it was. Alberta. How was she here? And, what was she _doing?_ Didn't she understand that I had to kill Nathan? "Rose!" she shouted, pulling me off the Strigoi – who had fallen to the ground and was now barely moving. "Rose! Enough! Enough!" she barked, pushing me out of the way and reaching for her silver stake. As I watched her drive it though his heart, Nathan's blond features shifted into that of the dark haired Strigoi I'd ripped away from Dimitri. Realization hit me, but before I could form any more thoughts, Alberta turned back to me, catching my arm, forcing me to look at her. "What were you _doing?!_" she snapped, gripping my arm tightly – a little too tight. "My job!" I hissed back at her. Anger flashed in her eyes, "Your Job?!" she repeated. She was livid. "Your _job_ is to slay Strigoi! _Not_ beat them into a bloody pulp before hand!". I swallowed. I'd never seen her so angry. "You know _better_ than this!" she finished. She let go of my arm, shot me daggers and then walked away.

As I watched her go, I acknowledged the scene before me. Guardians were everywhere. A few of them were finishing off the other three Strigoi, while others were checking the surroundings, looking for any more that may be lurking in the shadows. I turned back to the Strigoi that I'd fought, only now realising what I had done. My eyes widened in shock, and I choked on my own breath. His upper body was covered with blood, and oh god, his face. His face was unrecognisable. He was a broken and bloody mess. The damage I'd done made me want to vomit. I tore my eyes from him, unable to look at him any longer. It was then that I felt a painful stinging creeping over my hands. I looked down to see that they were covered in blood: a mixture of the Strigoi's and my own. As the stinging began to intensify, I realised what was causing it: almost all of my knuckles had split. "Shit…" I muttered to myself, wincing from the pain.

Ten minutes later, I sat next to Dimitri on our front door step, watching Guardians and other Court officials surveying the scene and discussing the night's events. Some were huddled in groups, while others were still focusing on the surrounding area. Our entire street right now reminded me of a crime scene. Lissa and Christian stood with Alberta, giving their account of what had happened, while Adrian had been called over by a group of Guardians who stood with a couple of Court officials. I recognized some of the Guardians as those who guarded the Queen. I had yet to be called to give my account. And, from the disapproving looks Alberta threw my way every so often, I wasn't sure if they _wanted_ my report. In my head, I'd gone though the events; from the moment I'd seen the Strigoi approaching to when Alberta had killed the one I was fighting. I still don't know what had come over me. I knew I'd lost it, I remembered feeling a twisted sense of darkness consuming me, but I couldn't remember why. Nathan. Something to do with Nathan? I'd seen him. I know I had. He'd stood there, right in front if me. But he was dead, I reasoned. Dimitri had killed him. Had I seen his ghost? No, surely not. We were behind magical wards, right? Or were we? The Strigoi had got in, hadn't they? Which could only mean the wards had been broken somehow. And, what about the damage I'd done to that Strigoi? Where the hell had that kind of strength and power came from?

Dimitri shifted a little, which brought me out of my thoughts. I turned to face him. He still looked a little pale, obviously shaken up by the whole thing. In fact he looked as freaked out as I felt. There was a time, not so long ago, when he'd of been standing with Alberta and the Guardians, taking reports, working out how the Strigoi had got in and talking about what needed to be done next. Those days were long gone. Now, he may as well be one of the Moroi, waiting for answers, and relying on others to fight back. It hurt to think of him like this. And, I wished there was some way that I could restore him to what he used to be. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked him quietly. He turned to look at me, and gave me a slight nod. Liar. He wasn't okay. He was far from okay. I sighed, deciding not too press it right now.

Not really knowing what to say next, I found myself watching the Court officials dealing with the aftermath of the attack. My eyes travelled over to where I'd fought the Strigoi. He was now covered with a plastic sheet, awaiting removal. His broken and bloodied face flashed in my mind. Once again, the sight made me feel sick. Yes, Strigoi were evil. We killed them to stop them from killing us and the Moroi. But there was a line when it came to taking them out. And, tonight, I'd crossed it. I swallowed, trying not to think about it. I tried pushing the images to the back of my mind, but they wouldn't budge. Just then Alberta called out my name. I looked up to see her beckoning me over to her. "I'll be right back" I told Dimitri softly.

"Rose" said Alberta, in a way of greeting, as I approached her, Lissa and Christian. Her tone was a little stiff– apparently her anger hadn't deflated much. Great. "Hey…" I mumbled in response. "Are you okay?" asked Lissa. "Yeah" I lied, "I'm fine". I really, really wasn't. But I wasn't about to let anyone else know that. I was just about to ask Alberta if they'd been any news on how the Strigoi might have got in, when Adrian arrived. "Did you tell her?" he asked the group. "Tell me what?" I said, glancing at each of them in turn. Alberta, Christian and Lissa all wore the same expression: Hesitance. It was clear that I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. Alberta let out a short breath before turning to me, "The Strigoi, Rose. It seems they – somehow, we're not too clear on this yet – breached the wards of the Court, and targeted you house specifically". What? Why? Then, I realised. Lissa. They knew she was here, and they'd come for the last of the Dragomir's. "Rose, the Strigoi, they come for—", I cut her off, "It's okay, Liss. Look around you. There's Guardians everywhere. You're safe" I told her. Well, as safe as anyone could be, I guess. I looked up at Adrian and Christian, "All of you are" I added. "Rose, they didn't come for Lissa. Or us" said Christian. "W—what?" I stuttered. "They barely even glanced at us" he carried on. "Rose" said Lissa, "They came for Dimitri".

My heart began to beat rapidly. What? No. I didn't hear that right. Surely, _surely_, Lissa didn't say that the Strigoi had come for the man I loved? Because, well, that didn't make any kind of sense! I turned to look at Dimitri. He wasn't looking in my direction; he was staring straight head, lost in his own thoughts. I turned back to the group and somehow found my voice, "No, that's… So, you're telling me, four Strigoi 'barely glanced' at three Moroi, three _Royal_ Moroi, _including the last Dragomir_, and went straight for a Dhampir?". They all nodded at me. "That doesn't make any sense!". My tone came out a more panicked then I would have liked. "Indeed" agreed Alberta. She wore her hard Guardian-at-work face. I felt my heart begin to pound harder in my chest. If what they said was true, then I'd come a hell of a lot closer to loosing Dimitri tonight than I'd first thought. I swallowed, trying very hard not to freak out. "You're sure?" I said, turning to my friends, "You're _sure_ they came for him?". Christian shook his head, "They weren't interested in us, Rose". Why? Why would they come after him? He wasn't exactly threat… was he? I thought about it for a moment… maybe he was. After we'd killed Galena, it hadn't been long before Dimitri had taken her place, quickly rising though the ranks to power. Even though he'd only been one of them for a couple of months, he'd found followers. A lot of them. Maybe, oh god, maybe they wanted their leader back? No. It didn't work like that, did it? If one Strigoi fell, another one would just take its place, right? There was no loyalty between them. Then, another thought struck me. Nathan had once let slip that he'd turned Dimitri for his skills and knowledge of the Moroi. What if the Strigoi didn't want Dimitri back, what if they wanted him _dead_? What if they felt he'd learned too much about them? I couldn't decide which scenario was worse.

"Rose? Are you okay? Rose?" Lissa's voice brought me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I suddenly realised her hands were on my shoulders, and she looked worried. In fact, they all looked worried. "Yeah" I said, swallowing back my worries. "I'm fine". Once again those two words so easily leaving my lips. "And, what about Belikov?" asked Alberta. I glanced towards Dimitri. He hadn't moved. "Um… He's a little…" I trailed off, not really knowing what to tell her. "May I?" she asked me, nodding towards him. "Er…" I stuttered, not sure why she was asking my permission. "Sure…" I finally replied, with a shrug. And without another word, she walked over to the doorstep and sat down besides him. Just then a couple of Guardians approached us and asked to speak with Adrian and Christian. The guys agreed and were led over to another group of Guardians. After a few moments, Lissa turned to me, "Are you really okay? Rose, you look a little pale…". Her tone was sympathetic and concerned. I ran a hand though my hair, which, I then realized was a mess. God, my dress torn, covered in mud– and blood, what must I look like? I turned to my best friend, putting on my I-can-take-anything face, "Yeah" I said, with an exhaled breath, "I told you, I'm fine". Lissa's thoughts came though loud and clear, she didn't believe that. However, she didn't pull me up on it. Maybe she realised I didn't need a confrontation right now. Whatever, she let it go. For now. I turned back to Dimitri and Alberta. I couldn't hear what Alberta was saying to him, but whatever it was; it looked to be having a positive effect. He didn't look quite as freaked out.

An hour later, the scene out on our front lawn started to come to a close. The dead Strigoi were taken away, Guardians and officials began to disperse, we were told the wards had now been restored, and we were _finally_ aloud to head inside the house. Court officials had wanted Lissa, Adrian and Christian to move into the guest housing, deep inside the Court, for the foreseeable future, so that they were secure and well protected. I thought it was a pretty good idea too, but they'd all told me that there was no way they were leaving me and Dimitri. The Strigoi had come for him, not them. There were a few arguments about their refusal to leave the house, but the three of them remained firm. They weren't going anywhere. In the end, it was agreed that Guardians would be posted outside our house, for the Moroi's protection.

"So, anyone else, want?" said Adrian holding up a bottle of whisky. We all glanced at him, but said nothing. "Okay," he carried on, "More for me, then". He unscrewed the bottle top, threw it down on the counter and then sank into the chair opposite the couch. Good god, the man could drink. I was pretty damn sure he was drinking a hell of a lot more these days, and it worried me a little. I should really have a conversation with him about that. The five of us had gathered in the lounge, none of us really felt like going to bed after what we'd been through tonight. Lissa sat on one end of the couch, curled up to Christian who sat next to her. He had his right arm around her shoulder and his left hand clasped in hers. I sat on the other end, wrapped in Dimitri's arms. He still seemed a little freaked out by what had happened (hell, so were we all), but whatever Alberta had said to him, sure as hell brought him out of his trance-like state. There hadn't been much conversation between the five of us; our minds were still very much on the attack. I shifted so that I was a little closer to Dimitri. After a moment, he tightened his hold on me a little, in a gesture of comfort. He could read me, he knew something was up, and like the others, he'd witnessed my violence against the Strigoi. He hadn't said anything about it yet. I knew he wouldn't bring it up in front of the others. But I knew he'd ask me about it later. There were a few things I wanted to talk to him about too, like what the hell happened to him out there.

What _had_ happened out there tonight? Lissa's words rang though me, _Rose, they came for Dimitri_. Fear shot though me again, I'd heard those words before. But where? Oh god, the nightmare, I suddenly realised. Lissa had said those words in the nightmare that had almost mirrored the attack. The Strigoi had come for Dimitri, and I couldn't stop them from taking his life. Images of that dream suddenly flashed in my mind. I saw Dimitri's struggles as he tried to fight back from his attackers. I saw their fangs sink into his neck. I saw the light leave his eyes. Oh god, what if the dream… what if the dream _wasn't_ a dream, what if— "Rose?". The sound of my name broke me out of my thoughts. It was Lissa's voice. I suddenly realised everyone was looking at me. I got the feeling it wasn't the first time she'd said my name. "Sorry, what?" I stuttered. "Are you okay?" asked Dimitri. I looked up at him, _No_, I wanted to say, _No, I'm not_. But I didn't say that, forcing a smile, I said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay". It was a lie, and I knew he knew that. Not wanting this conversation to go any further, I decided I need to get out of there. Theories and fears swirling inside my head, I just couldn't deal right now. I jumped up, and as I did, four pairs of eyes followed me. "You know what? I, uh, I'm a little sore from the fight. I'm going to head for the shower" I told them. And without another word, not waiting for a response, I turned and bolted out of the door.

I was just feet from the stairs when Lissa came after me, "Rose!". I reluctantly turned back to face her. "You should have told me. Let me heal you" she said softly. "No, Liss. Don't waste your magic on me". "It's not a waste…" she said sadly, a little hurt. "Please, you're my friend, let me help you". I felt her emotions as she stood looking at me. She wanted to help me. She needed to help me. She felt like I'd been through so much tonight, she felt like I'd fought for her as well as for Dimitri. I sighed. "How about you get to work on one of those rings tomorrow?" I asked. She nodded, "Yeah. Okay, I'll do that". I gave her a smile. "But for now," she said, taking my hands in hers, "At least let me heal your hands. They must hurt". And before I stop her, I felt the warmth of her magic flowing though me. It was pure bliss. Golden joy. It felt like everything was right in the world. It was wonderful. She was right, my hands did hurt. My knuckles stung like hell, but I'd forced myself past the pain. It took just moments for the pain to stop. I looked down at my hands, the cuts had closed, and all that remained was the dried blood – as well as the dirt. No, I didn't want this; I didn't want her to heal me. I'd done something terrible tonight, and I felt like I deserved the pain.

I pulled my hands from her grip, before she could use any more of her magic. "Thanks…" I muttered. She looked a little shocked at my pulling away, but before she could say anything, we both noticed Dimitri standing beside her. Neither of us had seen him approach, we'd both been too focused on the magic. "Rose—" I cut him off, "Fine! I'm fine!" I told him. My tone came out a little high, a little _too_ high. Crap. I'd bailed from the room to be on my own. I know they were both worried, but I just could deal with their concerns right now. Looking at Dimitri's taken back expression, I suddenly got the feeling that I'd jumped the gun a little. Maybe he'd come after me to ask me something other than if I was okay? I muttered something about falling asleep and drowning in the shower if I didn't go now, and then bolted up the stairs, leaving the two of them, presumably staring after me. As reached the top and round the corner, I heard Lissa's worried voice, "Should one of us go after her?". "No" Dimitri told her softly, "Not right now. I think she just needs sometime to herself". Good call, Dimitri. I was grateful to him for that.

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End of Part Seven! I'm currently working on Part Eight. There's some very emotional stuff coming your way! Stay tuned!


	9. Ghosts: Part Eight

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Eight)  
**_"_I couldn't hold on to my emotions any longer, everything that had happened in the last nine months, all the pain, just flooded out of me._"_

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I really enjoy reading them all. Please continue to review, and get your friends to review too! It makes me happy. And when I'm happy, I write faster. Okay?

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Eight" of "Ghosts". I wrote this one pretty fast, lol. The next one won't be as fast I don't think... So, as I teased in the last chapter, this one is very emotional. I like to put the characters in my stories though hell. Yes, I'm mean like that. But it makes for a better story, right? I did my best to keep the characters as close to the series as I could. But as we haven't seen much of this kind of thing in VA – yet, I had to guess. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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THE NEAR-SCALDING JETS of water felt wonderful against my skin as I stood under the showerhead. My slight cuts and scrapes that I'd acquired in the fight stung as the water ran over my body, but at the same time the water soothed my aches, which I knew would feel ten times worse tomorrow morning. I pulled back my slightly tangled hair and tucked as much as I could behind my ears, so the water could fully run over my face.

My thoughts soon turned to Dimitri, the attack and my nightmares. Once again I asked myself the question, _why had they come for him? _I wondered if my theories about the attack held any truth. Did they want him back? Did they want him dead? Or was I completely off base? God, I wanted to be. But, I couldn't shake Lissa's words from my mind, _They came for Dimitri_. She'd said those exact words in my nightmare. I swallowed. Once again, memories and images flashed in my mind: Dimitri's struggles as he tried to fight back. His captor's fangs sinking into his neck. My futile attempts at breaking free from my own captors, in a desperate bid to save him. Suddenly the images shifted to tonight's attack: the Strigoi holding Dimitri. Leaning in for the bite… So much of that nightmare mirrored reality. My heart started to beat faster, and even though I was sweating in the hot water, I shivered. I'd been wrong, hadn't I? Surely I'd been wrong. I was paranoid, that was it. No, Rose. No, the nightmares aren't coming true. That's crazy. _Crazy_, I told myself.

I stood there, shaking. Stranger things have happened, though, haven't they? My coming back to life, being Shadow Kissed, seeing ghosts, seeing _Mason_, restoring a Strigoi back to a Dhampir. But, then, what if Dimitri was right? What if my nightmares weren't just ordinary nightmares, what if they had something to do with being Shadow Kissed? I ran my hands over my face. No. No, stop this, I told myself. It's stupid. But I couldn't stop it. Those thoughts kept swirling in my head, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't shut them out. As if that wasn't bad enough, my thoughts turned to what I had done to that Strigoi. Images of his bloody and broken face once again made me want to vomit. Where did that darkness come from? Was it Spirit? And that power... To be able to render a Strigoi's face unrecognizable, my strength must have been immense. And that scared the hell out of me.

As the hot water continued to flow from the showerhead, I absentmindedly wrapped my arms around myself, and before I knew what was happening, tears began to flow freely, mixing with the water running down my face. Quiet sobs came next. Everything that had happened over the last nine months came flashing back, hitting me like a tidal wave. For months now, I'd forced myself to be strong, forced myself in to believing that I could handle anything, but I couldn't do it any longer, it was too much. It was all too much. I felt as if I was drowning in my own life's battles. Something had to give. Something _needed_ to give. Standing there under the hot water, sobbing, I wanted it all to stop. The nightmares, the fears, the pain… I just wanted it all to stop.

Twenty minutes later, I'd managed pull myself together enough to climb out of the shower, dry myself and head to my room. I'd only had enough will left in me to towel dry my hair, I couldn't bring myself to do anything else with it. As I sat alone in the darkened room – I didn't bother to turn on any lights – curled up in the wicker chair, which sat next to the window, knees hugged to my chest, silent tears leaked from my eyes. I still couldn't shift those images and thoughts. It was like they were consuming me, and I could think of nothing else. The more and more I thought about them, the more and more they began to scare me.

Suddenly the door opened, and Dimitri peered in. "Rose? What are you doing sitting in the dark?" he asked, standing in the doors threshold. I quickly wiped away my tears. "Er… Nothing…" I stuttered, doing my best to hide the upset tone in my voice. I know I didn't mange it very well, because he walked in, closing the door softly behind him. In seconds he'd crossed the room and was couching down in front of me. He spoke softly; his words came out in almost a whisper. Concern was written all over his face, "Rose? What's—you've been crying. What's wrong?". I looked down at my hands, unable to look at him. I didn't want him to see me like this. "Rose, please" he continued, in that same tone. He reached out with his left hand, and gently raised my chin so that I had to look at him. "Talk to me". I swallowed as more tears threatened to leak. "Let me in" he begged. My eyes met his, and I could see his worry for me. He looked pained. It reminded of the way he'd once looked at me back at school, just before I'd told him about seeing ghosts. My head was in two minds. I wanted to tell him everything. I needed to tell him everything. I knew I needed to open up to someone. But, on the flipside, talking about it would make it more real somehow, and I didn't know if I could deal with that right now.

I let out a tearful sigh, and made a decision. "I don't know what's happening to me…" I told him. My tone came out a strained whisper. He reached out, and wiped away a tear. Great, they were back. "What? What do you mean?" He asked gently. I swallowed. "Something's wrong with me…" I choked out. "What makes you say that?". "You saw me out there tonight. You saw what I did to that Strigoi. I lost it". Dimitri reached up and brushed the hair from my face, "Its okay…" I said gently. Was he joking?! How the hell was it okay? Everyone had seen what I did, my friends, Alberta, the other Guardians, but no one was taking about it. It was like they all were pretending that it had never happened. But it _did_ happen. And everyone ignoring it was beginning to freak me out. "It's _not_ okay" I told him, sounding a little panicked, "I crossed a line tonight, Dimitri. You know I did". He didn't say anything to that, because, well, what could he say? My voice began to crack as I continued on, "It's not normal for a Dhampir to have that kind of strength, that kind of power. Is it?". For a few long moments, Dimitri just looked at me. He looked as if he was planning his words carefully, "No. It's not" he admitted softly.

I moved myself so I was sitting up straight in the chair. "Everyone saw what I did. But nobody is saying anything about it. Why?". Dimitri opened his mouth to answer my question, but obviously decided against it, because he closed it again. Instead, he began stroking my hair. After a few moments he spoke, "Rose, trust me, it will be okay" he said firmly. "No!" I argued, "No, it _won't_ be okay!". I forced back more tears. "What if I can't control it next time? What if it was Spirits darkness again, like back at school? It felt like that. Or at least it felt a little like that". I was beginning to ramble. I felt myself beginning to shake, and more tears ran down my face. "And, what if—". Dimitri cut me off, "Roza, stop". He shifted a little closer to me, "Stop" he said gently. I did, but seconds later sobs escaped my lips. Without a word, Dimitri wrapped his arms around me, and began to rub my back as I continued to sob in his arms.

After a minute or so, I pulled back. Our eyes met as I said, "It's not just that… It's…" I stopped, not knowing where to begin. "It's what?" he asked. "It's the nightmares" I told him. "What about them?". I hesitated, and he saw it. "You know you can tell me anything" he said gently. So I did. I told him about the nightmare, and how it was so similar to tonight's attack. I told him my fears about what if they were more than just regular nightmares, what if they were coming true. What if my dreaming it, had somehow made the attack happen? He didn't say much throughout my ramble, he just listened, taking it all in. When I'd finished, he reached up and put his hands either side of my face, "Roza. Listen to me". He spoke in a soft voice, "You've been though so much. _So much_. The nightmares are horrible and unfair, yes – I wish I could take them away from you – but, they are just that. Nightmares. I don't believe they are coming to pass. I don't believe dreams can do that". "You don't?" I asked, a little confused. He shook his head, "No". Great. That's just great. The one person who I thought I could count on, doesn't believe me. He didn't believe in ghosts at first, either. And, wasn't him who'd asked the question, what if the nightmares were something to do with being Shadow-Kissed?

"But, what about Yeva? She sees things. And you believe _her_" I argued. He removed his hands from the sides of my face and took my hands in his, "Rose, what my grandmother sees—or calms to see, are not nightmares. I grew up with that stuff. Her situation is _completely_ different to yours" he said, his tone was warm and kind. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, and let out a sigh. "I don't know what to do. It's in my head, all of the time" My voice began to crack again, "Even more so now. I keep seeing the fight. I keep seeing you as they—" I cut myself off, unable to finish that sentence. But by the look on his face, I didn't need to finish it. He knew what I meant. I swallowed. "I keep thinking what could have happened if I hadn't of got to you. God, if Christian hadn't of been there…". Dimitri gave my hands a squeeze, "But you did, he was, and we're all fine". I let out a few sobbing breathes. I hated that I'd got this upset. I hated that I'd got this upset in front of him. I always tried to be strong in front of Dimitri. I didn't want to be anything less than perfect, and lately, well, all I seemed to be doing was crying. Showing him how weak I really was. I felt awful because I knew I wasn't the only one going though something. He was too. He was still recovering from the change. And lately it seemed to be all about me. But as much as I tried I couldn't stop the tears. Even as I tried to blink them away, they continued roll down my face.

"I could have lost you tonight…" I breathed, though the sobs. "But you didn't" he said, his tone absolute. He removed one of his hands from mine, and retuned it to the side of my face, "I'm here, Roza. I'm right here…" he whispered, soothingly. Tears still flowing freely, I reached up and placed my own hand over his. "I know" I told him, swallowing hard, "I know…". He lent forwards and kissed me lightly on my forehead, and then lent his own forehead against mine, "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere" he said gently. He sounded so certain. So, so certain. But how could he be? Life and death was so fragile in the lives that we lead. I wanted to believe him, I needed to believe him. But I couldn't. I knew better. One day he could be here, and the next he could be gone. I could loose him. Just like before.

We stayed like that, our foreheads touching, for almost a minute. Being this close to him felt almost intoxicating. I took in the smell of his aftershave. His skin against my own felt warm. Too soon he broke away from me. He pulled back so he could look at my face. He didn't say anything; he just studied me, taking in my features. And in turn, I did the same. After a few moments, he reached up and wiped way my remaining tears. "Rose—" he began, but I cut him off, "What happened to you out there?" I asked. I'd caught him off guard. He hadn't been expecting that question. But I needed to know. I needed to know why he'd just stood there, why he hadn't fought back. He tensed slightly, before turning his head away from me. It was then that I realised he, like me, still seemed to be trying to cope with the night events. After a few moments, he spoke, however he refused to look at me, "I froze" he said quietly, staring out of the window, "I saw them, and I froze". He froze? Well, _that_ was obvious, I thought bitterly. Then, just like that, all my worry and fears for him turned to something else: anger. I was furious with him, furious with his actions, or rather, the lack of. Some part of me – some rational part – knew he hadn't acted that way intentionally. But, as hard as I tried, I couldn't shake the anger. "I didn't see to be able to…" trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. _To what?_ _React?_ _Do a damn thing?_ I wanted to snap back.

"You just stood there" I choked out. "You didn't fight back". He turned back to me, but was unable to speak. He looked pained, and guilt began to show on his face. Then, in that moment, everything spilled out. I couldn't hold on to my emotions any longer, everything that had happened in the last nine months, all the pain, just flooded out of me. I felt my whole body tremble with anger, "You didn't fight back!" I repeated, my voice cracking as tears began to flow again. I struck out at him, hitting him in the chest. Not hard, more like a slap. "Don't you get it?! Don't you _understand_?!" I told him, my voice beginning to grow louder. I struck out at his chest again, he didn't move or try to defend himself, he just remained crouching in front me. "I can't loose you! Not again!" I said, shaking my head, emphasizing the point. My voice was beginning to sound hysterical, but I didn't care. Tears began to flow more rapidly and sobs escaped my lips. Dimitri looked shocked at my outburst, "Rose—". He tried to take my hands in his, but I shook him off. "Do you even know how scared I was?!". I hit out at him again, "You didn't fight back!". I balled my fists as I continued to hit him, but my energy was fading and my hits barely made an impact. "You stood there! You just stood there!" I cried, my weakened blows pounding against him. "I'm sorry…" he breathed. He too looked like he might cry. "You didn't fight back! Why didn't you fight back?!" I shouted at him. He was a Guardian. He knew how to fight. He knew how to defend himself. So what the hell happened?! Some part of me knew the answer to that. He'd once told me that he couldn't fight the Strigoi anymore. Not after what he'd been through.

Flashes of him inside the caves and out on the front lawn were spinning inside my head. Through my pain, I couldn't think straight. "I'm sorry…" he repeated. This time his voice cracked and as I looked up into his face, though my own tears, I saw tears of his own. Normally, this would have sent shock waves through me, but I was too caught up in my own pain to react. I continued to sob as he brought his hands up and rested them on my shoulders. "Rose—". "I need you!" I told him, grabbing on to the fabric of his shirt, "I can't loose you!". I shook my head violently, "_I can't loose you!_". My anger fading, turning into despair, I collapsed against his chest, unable to say anything else. He wrapped his arms round me, holding me tight against him as cried into his chest. I think he was on the verge of crying himself, as he continued to repeat that he was sorry.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, five minutes, ten minutes? But eventually, Dimitri pulled back. He'd managed to pull himself together, unlike me. "Rose," he whispered, "Look at me". I slowly raised my head. He reached out to my face with his left hand and wiped away my tears – again. "I know it's been hard. But you can get through this. You are so strong". I shook my head, disagreeing with him. I wasn't strong. Strong people don't break down every other day. "No. I'm not. I'm not strong. I thought I was. I tried to be. But I'm not" I told him. "You _are_" he argued firmly, returning his hand to my shoulder, "When things get rough, you handle it. You take control. Roza, you're the strongest person I know…". I felt my bottom lip tremble as I looked at him. He had so much love for me. He understood the pain I was going though, he believed in me. Right then, I wish _I_ could have believed in me.

"It just keeps coming…" I blurted out, my voice barely a whisper. I shook my head, "Victor, Spokane, Mason, the ghosts, the attack, loosing you, Russia, finding you, changing you back, the nightmares…" I swallowed back more tears, "It all just keeps coming…". Dimitri gave one of my shoulders a small squeeze. "I know. I know it does" he agreed gently. I had a feeling he wasn't just referring to my problems, but referring to his own pain as well. "It's like, I keep getting hit with all these waves, they're crashing into me" I told him, tears leaking out yet _again_. God! What was wrong with me and the crying?! I'd never cried this much in eighteen years, as I had in these last few weeks. "It's like I'm drowning, and I can't stop it. I just want it to stop" I said, on the verge of breaking down again. "I just want it all stop. Just for a little while. I just want it to stop… I just want—" he cut me off in mid ramble. His lips crashed against mine. And wow, was it a kiss. It was soft a first, but it grew more passionate, then more fierce – in a good way – as his hands slid up from my shoulders to the sides of my face. I retuned the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. Soon the kiss began to intensify; it became more hungry, more powerful. It reminded a lot of what had happened between us in the cabin.

As we continued to kiss, my surroundings began to fade, and all I could see or feel was Dimitri. It was like our love for each other had suddenly amplified. At the same time as I pushed against him, he pulled me out of the chair, our mouths never leaving each others. Surely – some part of me thought – surely we'd need to come up for air soon? We didn't. The kissing continued as we both found our footing and stood up, wrapped in each others embrace. Images of that night in the cabin flashed in my mind. The first – and only – time we'd had sex. It had been so perfect. I'd never expected my first time to be like that. I remembered being in Dimitri's embrace, feeling so loved. I remembered the passion, the hunger, the—wait! It was happening again. Right now. That realization hitting me, I pulled out of the kiss. "What are you doing?" I asked him breathlessly. "Making it stop," he answered gently, equally as breathless. "Just for a little while…" he said, repeating my own words. He was looking at me with so much love, so much understanding. I hoped my own expressions mirrored his, because, god did I love him. I loved him with everything I had. I smiled at him, showing him it was what I wanted too. Then, our mouths found each others again, and everything that I'd felt a moment ago was back. Somehow, we managed to manoeuvre ourselves over to the bed. We both sat down and then between the kissing, with his help, I managed to remove my top. My fingers found the buttons of his shirt, and I began to undo them as his hands slipped around my back and found my bra strap. For the first time in my life, I was with the man I loved, and there was nothing, _nothing_, wrong with what we were doing. He wasn't my mentor anymore, I wasn't underage, we were equals now.

As more and more clothes came off, I wondered if right now was the right time for our… second time. He was going though a lot and, I clearly was a wreck. But, I knew Dimitri. He wasn't the type of guy to take sex lightly. If he thought the time was right, then, I trusted that it was. As the moments passed us, all thoughts of the attack and all of my fears about the nightmares seemed to fade form my mind. I began relax and to get more and more caught up in the task at hand. And it wasn't long before I lost myself into the bliss that was being with the person who meant so much to me, the person that I loved so wholly that I didn't know where he ended and I began.

Just like in the cabin, sex with Dimitri was sweet and wonderful. Okay, it wasn't quite as special as our first time, because, well, that was our _first time_, and, I didn't think anything could beat that. But it was special nonetheless. It had taken me away from everything I was worrying about, and I had really needed that. As the two of us lay wrapped in the covers, in each others arms, I realised that it felt so good to not have to worry about being caught, or hell, worry about breaking the law. I could enjoy the aftermath of what comes after sex. Something I was only able to do briefly the first time. I lent my head against Dimitri's bare chest, "I love you" I told him quietly. He kissed the top of my head, "I love you too, Roza" he replied, stroking my hair. Suddenly I realised how sleepy I was. I yawned. "Things will be okay, won't they?" I asked him, "We'll figure all of this stuff out, right?". I waited for his answer with baited breath. I wanted him to tell me that we would. That it would all be okay. But at the same time, I didn't want him to lie to me. He didn't speak for a moment, he just looked at me; I think he was reading my expression. He wore his thoughtful mask. The one that told me things were spinning in his mind. He kissed the top of my head again. "Sleep" he said softly. "We'll talk about it tomorrow". Okay, that wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for, but I knew it was the only one I was getting right now. And right now, sleep sounded like a very, very good idea. Wrapping my arm around his chest, I happily succumb to the slumber, as he lovingly continued to stroke my hair.

"No!" I shouted at him. "I won't let you do it! I won't let you!". I began to back away from him. "Rose, do you _really_ think you have a choice, here?". I swallowed, backing up even more. He laughed at me, and then took a few steps towards me. We were only about five feet from each other. My back brushed against the stone wall. I let out a gasp. I was trapped. I saw his wicked smile increase. Then, in seconds he was in front of me, his face just inches form my own. I'd barely seen him move. Strigoi were so fast. So, so fast. He shifted his body closer to my own, and pressed his hands against the wall either side of my head. My heart began to beat faster as I my eyes met his. Fear began to seep into me. He smiled evilly. He knew I was panicking. And he liked it. "Roza," he whispered, "It's time". I shook my head violently; well aware of what he was talking about. "No…" I begged, "No. Please. I don't want this". I looked into his eyes, hoping that by doing so, some spark of humanity would look back into my own. Nothing. Those red eyes gleamed back. Almost mocking me. "You _do_" he replied, sounding so sure that was indeed what I wanted. "You _do_ want this. You just don't know it yet". No. No I wasn't going to let him do this. I wasn't going to let him turn me into a monster.

With every ounce of strength that I could muster, I pushed him away from me. I didn't make much of an impact, but he stumbled enough for me squeeze past him. Taking my chance, I moved at a dead run, heading across the room, towards the door. I was just a couple of feet from it when he violently pulled me back. With his speed, I should have known my plan never would have worked. He threw me to the ground and I landed on my back, with a thud, the wind knocked out of me. He dropped to the floor, landing on top of me. Before I had time to react, he placed his hands on my shoulders, holding me down. I struggled in his grip, but I couldn't break free. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way" he growled at me. I'd pissed him off. "Either way, I _will_ awaken you tonight". There was no kindness in his voice now. He meant what he said. "Come daybreak, you will be at my side for eternity". I shuddered. The thought of that was… horrible. The thought of me killing along side him was—_No! No don't think like that Rose_, I told myself. I put my hard face on, "I will not" I told him, with as much malice in my voice as I could manage, my hands slowly reaching for my belt. "I will not join you!". He looked down at me, a grin spread over his face, as my hands – unbeknownst to him – clasped around my silver stake. "Yes, Rosa. You will" he said. He lent down towards my neck. This was it, I had to strike now, otherwise I'd wake up dead.

Gritting my teeth, wishing I wasn't in this situation, I struck out at his chest, jamming the stake though his ribs and up into his heart. "Never hesitate" I told him, though gritted teeth. He cried out, and pulled back, looking into my face. My heart almost stopped when I saw his expression. There was so much pain on his face, mixed with shock, and betrayal. A voice inside my head spoke to me; _You've done it, you've finally done_, it told me. With a grunt of pain, Dimitri rolled himself off of me, landing on his back besides me. Breathing hard, I pulled myself up into a sitting position, never taking my eyes off of him. I stared at him. At the stake penetrating from his chest. He began to shake, his eyes were wide, and his lips had parted. I swallowed back tears. On the inside he was the monster that I loathed, but on the outside he looked like the man I had once loved. I couldn't look at him any longer. It was too much. I turned my head away, squeezing my eyes shut, willing it to be over. Suddenly I heard my name. "Rose… Roza…" the words had been choked out. I couldn't help it; I had to look back at him. I needed to. I slowly turned myself around, worried about what I might find. But nothing, _nothing_ could prepare me for what I saw. Dimitri. Naked Dimitri. Naked _Dhampir_ Dimitri. Naked Dhampir Dimitri with a silver stake penetrating from his chest.

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End of Part Eight! Cliffhanger. Again. Aren't I so mean? Well, I have to keep you interested, right? I'm currently working on Part Nine. Stay tuned!


	10. Ghosts: Part Nine

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Nine)  
**_"_It seemed like every time something went right in my life, something else had to come along and smash my happiness to hell._"_

Thanks for the reviews once again everyone! I love to hear what you think and they really do mean a lot, and make me smile when I see them arrive in my inbox. Please continue to review. Thanks!

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Nine" of "Ghosts". Okay, so I left the last chapter at a worse cliffhanger than chapter seven, didn't I? What a mean author I am. I loved to see all your reactions to it – because I knew how that last scene would end from the start. So, here you go, now you can read the other half of it. The half I almost let you read in the last chapter, but made you all wait for. Enjoy!

(Sorry it took me so long to get this one posted. Life has been soooo busy lately).

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I STARED AT HIM, HORROR AND shock seeping into me. My heart began to beat faster, and I began to breathe awkwardly. No, no, no, no, no. NO! This wasn't happening! I scrambled to his side, and leant over him. My eyes went straight to the silver stake, penetrating from his chest. Oh god, what had I done?! "No! Oh, god… No!" I screamed. Dimitri began breathe heavily, his face showing nothing but sheer agony. Before I could stop him, he reached up and yanked the stake from his chest, yelling in pain as the blade came out.

His arm fell back down to the side of him, and the stake clattered to the ground. Tears ran down my face as I looked into his eyes. I grabbed his shoulders, as if holding onto him would help the situation somehow. "Dimitri…" I sobbed. "I'm sorry, I didn't… I... I–I didn't…" I couldn't find the words. He squeezed his eyes shut, gulping for air. He looked in so much pain. So, so much pain. My sobs grew louder. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. What had I done?! My mind was spinning, I needed to help him. I needed to do _something_. Panicking, I pressed my hands over the wound, trying to slow the bleeding. "Don't move. It'll be okay… It'll be okay…" I told him, knowing full well that it would be anything _but_ okay. I'd stabbed him in the heart. Nobody could survive that. I began to cry as it dawned on me, I was loosing him, all over again. And it was _my fault_. This time there was nothing I could do to save him. The crimson liquid began to leak through my fingers. I pressed down harder, trying to stop the bleeding. Dimitri opened his eyes and looked into mine, "Roza…" he choked out. I moved closer to him, still pressing down on his chest. "I'm sorry…" I sobbed. He moved his lips, trying to smile – but he couldn't quite manage it, the smile I mean. It wasn't a smile as such; it was more of a grisly grimace. "I know…" he told me, his tone nothing more than a rattle.

He began to cough and his whole body started to shake. He was going into shock. Freaking out, not knowing what to do, I pressed down even harder onto his chest, trying to apply more pressure to the wound, but it didn't help, the blood just kept oozing out, covering my hands and his chest. As I looked up into his face, I saw his eyes start to glaze over, he was dying. He had perhaps just moments left. "Dimitri… " I sobbed, "Please… please don't leave me…" I begged. He coughed again, and this time blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth. His breathing had become so shallow that it looked as if he wasn't breathing at all. "Roza… ". His tone was incredibly strained. He was fighting hard against death to get his words out. "I will always… love you". I couldn't speak, I just stared. He gave a sharp gasp, and then, his body went completely still. I stared opened mouthed. He was gone. And with his death my word shattered. "That's what I was supposed to say…" I just about managed to breathe.

I jolted awake. My breathing began to come out in short sharp gasps as the memories of the dream – no, nightmare – came flooding back. Images swirled in my head: Dimitri. Stake. Dimitri. Blood. I swallowed and pulled myself up into a sitting position. My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the room, and as I began to get a feel for my surroundings. I told myself it was only a nightmare. It wasn't real. Just a nightmare. But, I had to be sure. I lifted my arms out from under the bed covers, and stared at my hands, half expecting to see them covered in blood. Nothing. However, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. In fact, I realized, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, I felt movement besides me, "Rose?". Very slowly, I turned my head towards the voice, and my eyes met Dimitri's dark brown ones. "Rose? What is it? What's—" he cut himself off, I think trying to read my expression. Then, I have no idea why, but without a word, I reached a shaking hand out towards him, to his bare chest, and lightly placed it over his heart – where, in the nightmare that fatal wound had been. Through his warm skin, could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingers.

Dimitri glanced down at his chest, then after a moment he gently pulled my hand away, holding it in his own, concern for me was written all over his face. I think I was freaking him out. "You're as white as a sheet…" he muttered. Was I? Well, that confirmed it; I must have looked as freaked out as I felt. He reached out to me, and held his hand to the side of my face. "Roza, please…" he said, shifting a little closer to me, "Talk me to me…". I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I closed it and tried again. Nothing. I just couldn't speak, I couldn't find the words. Was I in shock? Hell, I felt like I was. Images of the nightmare flashed in my mind again. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block them out – which didn't work. I saw myself jam the stake into Strigoi Dimitri's chest, and then suddenly he was Dhampir Dimitri, _my_ Dimitri. Blood oozed from his wound and I couldn't stop it—No! _Shut them out! Shut them out!_ I told myself. I opened my eyes again, to see that Dimitri's concern for me had grown tenfold. I felt his hand drop from the side of my face, down to my hand. "Tell me what happened" he said gently. He knew. Of course he knew. He knew _me_. He'd worked out that I'd had nightmare. Maybe it was obvious? I swallowed. Every inch of my body, I noticed, was still shaking. I looked into those dark eyes, still unable to find the words. And, honestly, even if I had managed to string together some sort of sentence, how the hell could I tell the person I loved, that I'd just killed him in my dreams?

Dimitri shifted even closer to me, never letting go of my hands. "Rose, please. Tell me—", I cut him off, shaking my head and squeezing my eyes shut again, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. I couldn't tell him what he wanted to know. Not right now. I felt him let go of one of my hands, and wrap his arm around my shoulders. He pulled me closer to him, and I crashed my head against his chest. As I sat shaking in his embrace, he placed his other arm around my back, as if offering more comfort. Sitting together, I noticed, for the first time since I'd woken, that the both of us were complete naked. God, I hoped we hadn't woken anyone else. If any of my friends walked in... That didn't even bare thinking about. My thoughts travelled back to before the nightmare. We'd been together, and I'd been so happy. Now, to wake up to _this_, was just… It wasn't fair. It seemed like every time something went right in my life, something else had to come along and smash my happiness to hell. It was like; I wasn't supposed to be happy. It was like, the darkness never wanted to let go of its hold on me.

I sat wrapped in the covers as Dimitri entered the room – now dressed in a shirt and pants, (I'd also thrown a shirt on too) – carrying a mug, steam slightly rising from its top. He closed the door quietly and crossed the room, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, next to me. "Here, drink this" he said, softly, as he handed me the mug. "It's camomile" he added. With a shaky hand I took the mug from him, trying my best not to spill it as I raised it to my lips. I took a couple of sips, and then lowered it again. There was silence between us as I stared down into the mug. I knew Dimitri was watching me. Taking a depth breath I looked up at him, yep, I was right. His dark brown eyes were focused on me, showing concern. I didn't know what to say or do, so, in typical Rose fashion, I said the most stupidest thing possible, "I'm fine". "You're fine?" he asked. By his tone, I could tell he didn't believe me in the slightest. "Right, that's why you're still shaking" he added. Taking the mug from me – before I spilt its contents onto the bedspread, he continued on, "Roza, you're _not_ fine". I sighed. No, he was right, I really wasn't fine. The shock of the nightmare had worn off a little, but, yeah, I was still shaking from the memory of it.

Dimitri placed the mug on the bedside table, never taking his eyes off of me. He shifted a little closer, taking hold of my hands, and asked, "What happened? In the nightmare". I swallowed. "I don't want to talk about it" I replied, as steadily as I could. "Rose—", I cut him off, "Please, Dimitri. I _can't_" I shook my head, "Not right now. I _can't_". I could barely hold it together just thinking about it, there was no way I could form the words to talk about it. After a moment, he said "Alright". Relief washed over me. I was so glad that he wasn't pushing me on this, at last not right now. I was pretty sure he'd ask me about it again at some point. He gave my hands a gentle squeeze, "Is there anything I can do?" he asked me softly. I shook my head. "Do you want me to wake Lissa?". Panic shot through me. "No! No… please. Don't wake her". If she saw me like this, she'd worry herself sick, and like Dimitri, she'd want answers. I couldn't deal with that right now. Dimitri continued to watch me as we both sat in silence.

After a while, he seemed come to some sort of decision. He reached out and put his hands on my shoulders, "Rose… I've never seen you like this. I'm worried". My eyes met his again; he really did look worried for me. I hated that I was worrying him, but, what could I do? I couldn't tell him I was fine, because, well, I'd tried that already. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't mean to worry you…". He didn't reply to that. I don't think he knew what to say. After a few moments silence between us, he spoke again, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do?". I shook my head. No, there was nothing he could do for me. Was there? Maybe there was. I did need something from him. Right now I needed his comfort. I needed to be close to him. I looked up into his face and quietly asked, "Can you… can you just hold me?". My own voice shocked me. My tone sounded so vulnerable. I _felt_ so vulnerable, and I hated it. I hated feeling this way. A little voice in my head told me to get a grip, but I couldn't. That nightmare had freaked me out so much, that all I wanted to do was be close to the man I loved. I was hardly 'bad-ass Guardian material' right now, was I? Without a word, Dimitri scooted towards me, so that he was fully sitting on the bed, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. As I cuddled up to his chest, resting my head against him, he reached up and cradled it with his hand.

I'm not sure how long I stayed wrapped in his embrace. I must have fallen asleep in his arms though, because, I don't remember much after that. When I woke the next morning, I found myself alone. I looked up at the clock and saw why. It was almost 11am. Damn. I shot out bed, dressed, made a quick to stop to the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth and then headed downstairs.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw no sign of Dimitri – however, Lissa was there, sitting at the breakfast bar, nursing a cup of coffee. She saw me enter. "Morning" she said, with a smile. "Hey" I replied. I sat down next to her. "So, she rises, then" said Lissa, wearing a goofy smile. I pulled one of my 'Ugh' faces, which my best friend knew oh so well. I leant my elbows on the breakfast bar and let my head fall into my hands. After everything that had happened last night, I felt so, so tired. "So, how are you feeling after last night? Are you still sore?" asked Lissa. My head shot up and I stared at her. "How the hell do you know about last night?" I asked; trying my best to keep my cool. Lissa looked as shocked as I felt. Okay, I told myself, calm down. A hell of a lot happened last night. She could be talking about the fight, I realised. "How do I know?" she asked me, "Rose, I was _there_". Ah. Okay, she _was_ talking about the fight. I silently thanked god for that. She was my best friend, yes, and I loved her, but, everything that had taken place in my room last night, I wasn't ready to talk about with her. "I know, I just…" I stammered, trying to cover, "I'm know you were there". Lissa's eyes narrowed, "Are you okay?" she asked, "You're acting a little… strange". I did my best to fake a laugh, "I'm not acting strange" I argued. She stared at me for a moment, and then seemed to let it go.

"So, you didn't answer my question" she stated a couple of moments later. I grabbed her coffee cup, and helped myself to a sip of it. "Which was?" I asked. "Are you okay? You're not still sore?". I was a little, actually, but, the reason for that _wasn't_ because of the fight. Oh Liss, I thought, if only you knew there was a double meaning to that question. My thoughts turned to Dimitri, and our time together last night. For a little while, I'd been happy. I'd been able to forget about all the crap that was going on in my life right now. Then I'd had the nightmare, and well, it had all come rushing back. Lissa's voice brought me out of my thoughts, "Because, if you are. I can heal you". I shook my head. "I'm fine" I told her.

Just then, I heard the front door open, then close, and a few moments later, Dimitri walked into the kitchen. He saw us both and smiled, "Morning". "Hey" I greeted in return, wondering where the hell he'd been. He walked over to the breakfast bar and stood the opposite side to where Lissa and I sat. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked. I knew what he was referring too: the nightmare. I quickly glanced at Lissa before looking back at him, "Fine" I said. He knew that was a lie, I could see it in his eyes; however, he didn't press me on it, not in front of Lissa. No doubt he would later. The truth was, I may not exactly be 'fine' regarding the nightmare. Yes, I was still very much freaked out about the whole thing, I mean, seeing yourself kill the person you love – even if it was only in a dream – doesn't really do much for the sanity. _But_ that said, I was feeling a little bit better this morning. I'd stopped shaking, which was a plus, right? It had been the freakiest nightmare yet, but, you know, I was dealing. Well, at least, I was trying to. I was sill having trouble shaking those horrible images from my mind.

An awkward silence fell between the three of us. It was Lissa who broke it, "Well, I'm going to leave you guys to it" she announced. My stomach gave a jolt. I glanced at Dimitri, and caught him glancing back at me. "I have to meet Christian" Lissa carried on. "Oh" I said, "You guys doing anything nice?" I asked. I was trying to stall her. I knew once she left, my boyfriend would want to talk about what happened last night. And I was not ready for that. Lissa smiled at me, "Well… he asked me to, and I quote, 'make yourself look pretty'. So, I know he has something planned for us". "Sounds nice" I answered, disappointed that I couldn't ask my next question, which was, could I go with her – anything to avoid what I knew was coming. She gave me a smile, and then said goodbye to me and Dimitri, leaving the two of us alone.

"Are you _sure_ alright?" Dimitri asked me. I looked up at him, he had is concerned face on – which he so often seemed use with me these days. "Yeah" I told him, "Yeah, I'm fine". He didn't look convinced, so I forced a smile. I don't think it fooled him in the slightest. As he opened his mouth to ask me something else, I braced myself for what I thought was coming next – except it didn't. "Come with me" he said. I blinked. I didn't expect that. I would have put money on him bringing up the nightmare. "I—What?" I stuttered. "Let's take a walk" he said. Okay, that was new. I stood up, walked around the breakfast bar, and came to a stop in front of him. "A walk?" I asked him, "Where to?". He smiled at me, "Does there have to be a destination?" he answered, taking my hand in his.

We walked hand in hand throughout the outer parts of the Royal Court. Neither of us wanted to come face to face with people staring at us. We both knew people would be talking about the attack – particularly my part in it. And the stares that Dimitri got when he walked anywhere public still had not faded. It was clear people still couldn't believe what they were seeing. I wanted to shout at each and every one of them. Yes, he's back. Get the hell over it already. There wasn't very much conversation between us as we walked. We were both content just to be in each others presence. Still, I was a little on edge, waiting for Dimitri to bring up what had happened last night. I was sure it was the reason for the walk. But he didn't say a word about it. Maybe he wasn't going to?

We eventually ended up walking through the Court's Gardens. Although I'd walked through here before, I seemed to notice for the first time, that, if you took the time to look at the flowers and shrubbery, it was actually quite beautiful. We walked deeper into the garden, away from the main seating area. I hadn't ventured this far into the gardens before. It was wonderful to be alone with the man I loved, in this scenic place. It almost felt like some kind of fantasy world. Dimitri, it seemed, knew where he was going. He led me though the foliage and towards a lone bench. As we sat down, I looked around at my surroundings, and noticed just how alone we were. No one would disturb us here. "Wow. It's really pretty here" I muttered. "It is" Dimitri agreed, turning to face me. "Do you realise how… _alone_ we are right now?" I teased. "Yes" he replied with a slight smile, understanding what I was hinting at. I shifted a little closer to him, "So… us, alone…". He laughed. Then, pulled back slightly, "Rose, that's not why we're here". There was a serious note to his tone. "It's not?" I asked, my fantasy world rapidly fading. He shook his head, "No". Okay, so why _were_ we here? I soon got my answer, "I want you to tell me what happened last night" he said.

Crap. I'd been afraid of this. I let go of his hand and rose from the bench. I didn't want to talk about the nightmare, it was still too painful. "No". I told him. He raised an eyebrow; I think he was shocked at the bluntness of my answer. However, he recovered quickly and stood up also, "That wasn't a request, Rose". His tone held a sort of final note to it. I stared at him. For a moment, I felt like I was back at the Academy, and he was my instructor again. I was just about to challenge him on his tone, when he carried on, "Until now, I've let this kind of thing go. I've waited for _you_ to come to me", he slightly shook his head, "But not this time". I swallowed. Suddenly I felt like a naughty child. Which pissed me off, because, I'd done nothing wrong. "I know you've had a hard time with the nightmares. And I know you find them difficult to talk about. I understand that. I do" he told me. His tone was a little more gentle and sympathetic. If he understood, I thought to myself, then why hell was he pressing me so hard on this? Once again, I was just about to call him out on that, but he cut me off, "But, last night…" he carried on, "Rose, last night was something else. Last night… _you scared me_". As he spoke those last few words, his tone did a complete one-eighty – it sounded worried and vulnerable.

He took a step closer to me, and pulled an expression to match his voice. "I've never seen you like that, I… I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to help you. It was like we were back on that plane, and I didn't know what was going on". I swallowed again. _That plane_. I knew what he was talking about. The first time I'd seen ghosts – apart from Mason, I mean. We were on one of the Academy's Jets, on our way back from the Royal Court, when ghosts had suddenly appeared everywhere, overwhelming me. Some I'd recognized, some I hadn't. Of course, being Shadow-Kissed, I was the only one able to see them, so no one else had known what was wrong with me. I'd been hysterical, shouting for the ghosts to leave me alone, and eventually I'd blacked out, waking up some few hours later in the Academy's clinic.

I sighed. I understood his worry, and I was grateful for it even. Yes, I'd eventually come to realise that telling him about the nightmares helped me deal. But that was before the one I'd had last night. That had been different from the rest. Images from it flashed in my mind again. I saw myself stake Strigoi Dimitri. Then I saw Dhampir Dimitri covered in blood. I swallowed, pushing those images to the back of my mind. No. No I couldn't talk about this. Dimitri brought me out of my thoughts, placing his hands lightly around my waist, "Rose, look at me". I did as he asked. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Tell me what happened". His tone was firm and serious again. "I told you, _no_", I said, pulling out of his grip. I gave him my best pissed off look, then turned around and started to head back the way we'd came.

However, Dimitri didn't accept that answer. Part of me knew he wouldn't, so, I wasn't really surprised when he caught up with me, catching my wrist, forcing me to stop. I turned back to face him, fuming; "Let me _go_!" I told him, though gritted teeth. My own tone surprised me, and it must have surprised him too, because he immediately released me. A startled expression flashed across his face, which then quickly turned to concern, "Rose—" I cut him off, "Don't!" I snapped. "I don't want to talk about it". He hesitated a little before responding, "Roza, it's for that reason that you _need_ to talk about it" he replied. This time his tone was gentle, but a little wary. Maybe he was right. Maybe I did need to talk about the nightmare. But it wasn't as simple as that, was it? This time when I had refused to talk to him about it, I wasn't protecting him, I was protecting myself. I couldn't bare the thought of him knowing what I had done. Even if it wasn't real. And yeah, maybe that was a little selfish, but I didn't claim to be any kind of saint. And hey, who was he to talk? He openly admitted he was keeping what had gone on between him and his father from me. Okay, so maybe there was a huge difference between those two situations, but still… I couldn't talk about this, and he'd just have to deal with that. "Now you sound like Adrian" I muttered.

He let out a sigh. He took a step towards me, and took my hands gently in his own, "Rose," he began, softly, "You trust me, don't you?". Yes, I did. I did trust him. I thought he knew that. I nodded, "Then trust me, when I ask you to talk to me". I sighed. "I love you, I'm worried about you," he carried on, "And I want to help you". The way he spoke those words, his caring and gentle tone made something inside of me buckle. Was I cracking? I think he saw the change in me. "Roza, _please_…". That was it, he broke me. Unable to look at him, I gave a heavy sigh, then said, "You got hurt, okay?". My words came out so faint that even I had trouble hearing them, "You got hurt and… and I couldn't save you" I said slowly. I felt his hands, slightly tighten around my own, and somehow I managed to look up at him again, his eyes portrayed sympathy. "I couldn't save you…" I repeated, my tone barely a whisper. It wasn't a lie. Technically, he _did_ get hurt and I _couldn't_ save him. I didn't need to say that he'd died. I think he understood that. "It just really freaked me out" I muttered. I'm not sure if he knew there was more to the nightmare than I was letting on, if he did, he didn't show it. Without a word, he pulled his hands free from mine and wrapped his arms around me. I crashed against his chest, taking in his warmth.

After a minute or so, he pulled back, placing his hands on my shoulders. I looked up into those dark eyes. "It's going to be okay, Rose. _I'm_ going to be okay. Nothing's going to happen to me". I swallowed, forcing back tears. "You can't know that Dimitri. The lives we lead… they're so fragile. Death can come at any moment for us. _Any_ of us. Guardians, I mean. You should know that better than anyone". He nodded his head slightly, "You are right" he said softly, "Death can come at any moment. But we cannot live our lives thinking about it, or purposely going out of our way to try and avoid it. Or just hoping that it won't happen today, or tomorrow, or the next day. Because if we go down that path, Rose… It can overtake us… and eventually we cease to live". Wow. What could I say to _that_? "Don't ask me how I know, I just do", he carried on, "You and me… We are going to live a long and happy life together". A long and happy life? Somehow I doubted that. Not in our line of work. I wondered if he truly believed his own words, or he was just telling me what he thought I needed to hear. Regardless, it was sweet of him to try and make me feel better, however, my worry for his safely wouldn't stop – and honestly, after what had happened outside of the house last night, had only made it worse.

Forcing my fears to the back of my mind, in typical rose fashion, I put on my humour face, "A long and happy life, huh?" I said. He nodded. "So, you mean, like sixty years from now, we'll be one of those couple who finishes each others sentences, we'll be looking at old faded photos in the photo album – reminiscing about our youth, and putting our dentures in a glass of water before bed?". A smile began to play across his lips as he said, "Yes. We will be one of those couples". I couldn't help but smile back. I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist, holding him tight, leaning my head on his chest. After a moment he retuned the hug. I sighed, "I hope so…". I pulled back and looked up into his face, "Except… I think I'd like to have all of my teeth" I told him. He laughed and shook his head in aspiration. I smiled. It was nice to see him laugh. When he laughed, it made me feel happy, and that was something I needed at the moment.

Suddenly my cell phone rang. I groaned, who the hell was trying to spoil the moment? Sighing, I pulled out of Dimitri arms and reached inside my jeans pocket for my cell. I stared at the screen. I didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" I greeted whoever was on the end of the line, trying my best to not sound as pissed as I felt. "Ah, Rose. Good" came Alberta's voice. Alberta?! Okay, that was new. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm trying to track down Guardian, Beli—" she caught herself, "Ah, Dimitri". For a moment, I wondered why she was on first term names with him. She was normally always so formal when addressing other Guardians. Then I remembered, he wasn't a Guardian anymore. "Oh, right…" I stuttered, still a little shocked at hearing her voice, "Uh, he's right here, actually" I told her, and with that I handed the phone over to Dimitri. He took it with a frown, obviously wondering who it was. 'Alberta' I mouthed to him, his frown widening a little.

I watched him as he spoke with her on the phone. He didn't say much, he just answered when need be, so I had no idea what was going on. However, I did notice that half way though the conversation he suddenly looked worried, and he'd paled slightly. He walked over towards the bench and sat down, the phone still attached to his ear. After a moment, I followed in suit. Another couple of minutes passed, the conversation finally came to and end and he hung up. "What's going on?" I asked him gently, as he handed the cell back to me. He didn't say anything for a few moments; he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. "My father" he finally said quietly, "He's missing". I stared at him, "Missing?" I repeated, a little shocked. He nodded. How could he be missing, I'd seen him last night at the party. "His Guardians reported him missing this morning. There's a search party out looking for him right now" carried on Dimitri. Seriously? Why the hell would they be making a fuss over a scumbag like him? Oh yeah, that's right. He's _Royal_. "They wouldn't normally be too concerned, but because of the breech last night…" Dimitri trailed off. I finished the sentence for him, "They think the Strigoi might have taken him". My boyfriend nodded, and then let out a sigh. I put my arm around him. "It'll be okay. He'll be okay" I said, trying to offer some kind of comfort, "They'll find him, Dimitri". The guy was a major jerk, yes, but at the end of the day, he was Dimitri's father.

Dimitri let out a short, sharp laugh, and turned away from me, staring at the trees in front of us. He spoke very quietly, "You know…" he began, shaking his head slightly, "I… I don't even care...". Wow. _That_ I was not expecting. I could have put money on Dimitri wanting to join the search. I thought I knew how he felt about Moroi and Dhampir lives. He once told me all lives were sacred. I guess he _really_ did hate his father. He turned to face me again, and swallowed herd, "He's my father, Rose. And I do not care. When Alberta told me he was missing… I felt nothing" his tone wavered a little and guilty expression fell across his face. He shook his head, "What does that say about me?". He paused before adding, "I'm not better than the Strigoi…". "Hey. _No_" I told him firmly. Reaching out to him, I placed one of my hands on his arm, "What it says about you is… This guy hurt you Dimitri. A lot. And he hurt people you care about". Olena Belikov came to mind, "Maybe what it says is… he lost the right for his son to care about him, a long time ago". I'm not sure if my words had much effect. The guilt still showed on his face. I tried to imagine what it must be like, to hate one of your parents so much, that the thought of them in trouble makes you feel nothing. Its true, my mother and I had our fair share of problems, but if I was honest with myself, I never hated her to the point where I didn't care. However much I felt she'd wronged me for the most part of my life, I sill loved her.

I watched Dimitri as he sat in silence next to me, lost in his own thoughts, no doubt thinking about his father. My own thoughts turned to Dimitri Senior, and I started to wonder what 'missing' meant exactly. Had there been more Strigoi here last night? Had he been taken? Or had he simply had too much to drink at the party and passed out somewhere this morning? _This morning_ – Suddenly a thought flickered into my mind. When I'd eventually woken up, and wondered down stairs, Dimitri hadn't been in the house. He'd come home half way though my conversation with Lissa. I remember wondering where he'd been. No. No, I told myself. Dimitri wasn't that kind of person. He may hate his father, but surely, _surely_, he wouldn't go as far as to do something about it. Would he? In that moment, I wasn't so sure. From his behaviour that I'd witnessed when he was around his father, and from the things he'd said about him, it sure as hell held motive. No, Rose. Don't be _stupid_. Dimitri might be bad-ass, yes, but he's no murderer – well, not Dhampir Dimitri, I corrected myself. A pang of guilt shot though me, how could I even think that he had anything to do with his father's disappearance. I mentally smacked myself, angry that I'd even had those thoughts.

Still, for some reason, I couldn't shake the idea of it. Which is why, despite knowing better, knowing that I shouldn't even be asking, I said, "Dimitri, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but—". He cut me off, seemingly knowing what I was going to ask. "No, Rose" he said softly, "I did not have anything to do with my father's disappearance". Wow. His ability to read me held no bounds. "How… How did you know that was what I was going to ask you?" I stuttered. He gave me a slight smile; I think to assure me that he wasn't mad at my question, "Because, given the history between me and my father, if I was you, that's what I would have asked me". I wasn't sure what to say to that. He sighed. "Alberta wanted to know when was the last time that I had seen him" Dimitri carried on, "I told her I hadn't seen him for a few days". I swallowed. I had to tell him. I should have told him last night. "I have…" I said quietly. His entire face portrayed shock. "Last night" I carried on. "At the party". He just stared at me, and then after a few moments, managed, "Why did you not tell me?". I sighed. "I was going to. It wasn't like I was keeping it from you. It's just, well, so much happened last night. The attack, and then we, you know. And then the nightmare. So much happened… it just didn't come up". I tried to read him. I wasn't sure if he was mad, or just still in shock. "I'm sorry" I added. He shook his head, "No, it's alright. I understand". Neither of us spoke for a few moments, then he asked, "Did he… what happened?". I hesitated for a moment, but then decided to tell him everything. I told him that his father said we should both be afraid of him, and not to get in his way. I also gave Dimitri his father's message, _Things are far from over. You make sure to tell him that_, he'd said.

Dimitri didn't say much after that. In fact, he was quiet for the rest of the day. Alberta called again around dinner time, to say that there had been no news, but she would keep him informed. I wondered why Alberta, of all people, was involved in this; after all, technically, she didn't work for the Royal Court. She was captain of the Guardians at the Academy. I shrugged it off though, and put it down to the amount of experience she'd had. Perhaps the Guardian council felt she could handle it while she was here? I'd asked Dimitri a few times if he was okay, and he assured me he was. I didn't buy it though. I knew he was worried about his father – and, I don't mean worried in the caring sense. I knew what he was thinking, because it had crossed my mind too, if his father had been taken by Strigoi, would they have killed him? Or made him one of them? I shuddered at the thought of that. Dimitri's father as a Strigoi. After the threats he'd made… he really would be out for his son's blood. And _that_ worried the hell out of me.

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End of Part Nine! Once again, sorry for the wait for this chapter, life has been busy.  
I will be staring part Ten soon. Stay tuned!


	11. Ghosts: Part Ten

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Ten)****  
**"My mouth fell open. I couldn't actually believe he'd just said that. He was hurting, yes, but he was going too far"

Thanks once again for all of the reviews. They really do mean a lot to me as an author. So please, please keep them coming! As I've said before, the more reviews, the more inspired I get, so the faster I write. Thanks so much everyone!

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Ten" of "Ghosts". Sorry it took a little longer than normal. I've been sooo busy lately. Life stuff has just taken over. Anyway, it's here now. Read and enjoy!

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THERE HAD BEEN NO FUTHER NEWS on Dimitri's father for the rest of the evening. I wasn't sure whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign. It was only when Dimitri and I climbed into bed that I realized how tried I was. My head crashed against the pillow and I fell asleep almost straight away – only to find myself pulled into one of Adrian's dreams. Wonderful. No sleep for _me_ tonight.

"Hello Rose" smiled Adrian as I walked towards him. "You know" I replied, "I was really looking forward to a goodnights _sleep_". We reached each other, and came to a stop. Adrian sighed, "Oh little Dhampir, how many times do I have to tell you? You _are_ asleep". I pulled a face; well I sure as hell didn't _feel_ asleep. I let out a sigh showing my frustration. Adrian just grinned. I glanced around to see where Adrian had picked to share this little visit of his. I took in my surroundings and turned back to him, "The Ski Lodge?" I asked, "Is that the best you can do?". He shrugged, "Good a place as any" he answered. "Besides" he added, "This is the place where we first met. It seems… fitting". I stared at him, "Fitting? For what?" I asked. "Let's walk" he said, ignoring my question. Shrugging, I fell into step with him and we headed across the snowy grass.

After a few moments, he spoke, "So, they're not getting any better, huh?". I glanced at Adrian as we walked. I knew what he was talking about, but I really didn't want to have this conversation right now, so I played ignorant, "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?". Adrian sighed. "Yes" he said firmly, "You are. In fact, you _do._ You know exactly what I'm talking about". Okay, so note to self, Adrian was in 'serious mode' tonight. Suddenly he came to a stop, and caught my arm, which forced me to come to a stop also. I turned to face him, "Adrian what ar—", he cut me off, "Rose, why won't you talk to me?". "Uh, I _am_ talking to you, Adrian" I replied. "No, that's not what I mean, and you know it! Why won't you talk to me about the nightmares? About what you're going through?" he asked, in a somewhat firm, but frustrated tone. I sighed. "There was a time," he carried on, "When were together, when you'd tell me anything – _everything_". No, there really wasn't, I wanted to reply, but I knew that would hurt him, which was the last thing I wanted to do. There wasn't one person in this world who I'd shared everything with. Not even Dimitri or Lissa. "What's changed?" he continued on. God, he was feeling awfully chatty tonight. "Nothing's changed!" I snapped, pulling out of his grip. "Rose—", this time I cut him off, "Look! What is this all about? The Visit? The questions? Because I don't need this crap right now!". Okay, that was harsh, I admit, but I couldn't help it, something about this visit seemed a little… off. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly; it was just the way he was acting.

"I'm worried about you. Is that a crime?" he shot back. "No…" I muttered. He walked towards me as I spoke, "But, I'm fine, Adrian, really" I said. He came to a stop. He shook his head, "No. You're _not_. You're putting on this face. You're acting like everything is fine. But it's not". I swallowed. Damn. He was right. "Rose, you're forgetting, I know you better than that" he said softly, as he discreetly moved a little closer to me. "Look," he carried on, "I care about you" he said, his tone barely a whisper, his face moving slowly towards mine, "And, if there's anything... I can do… to help…" I felt him place his hands just above my hips. Oh god. This wasn't good. This wasn't going where I _thought_ it was going, was it? No. Adrian knew I was with Dimitri. He wouldn't do that. Okay, I told myself, _pull away, Rose. Pull the hell away_. I didn't move, and Adrian carried on, "Anything at all..." he breathed. _Pull away!_ My brain chastised me. Why wasn't I moving? Then he did it, he suddenly leaned in and kissed me.

After a moment, my body finally reacted to my brain, and I jerked out of his grasp. "Adrian, no!" I snapped. "Why?" he asked. His tone was almost innocent, like he could see nothing wrong with his kissing me. I stared at him. _Why? Why?! I have a boyfriend!_ I wanted to scream. "You _know_ why!" I snapped, backing up a few steps. "Where is this coming from?" I asked him. "What happened to 'knowing I was with Dimitri', huh?" I said, referring to our conversation at the party a few nights ago. I was pissed at him for trying to kiss me. But, I was more pissed at myself, for letting him get that far. "Come on, Rose. Look at where we are!" he said, gesturing at our surroundings with his hands. "You're in your dreams. _Our_ dreams. It's not really cheating. It's more like… a fantasy". I gawped at him, unable to believe his words. Did he seriously think I'd see it like that? My anger began to shine through, "It _is_ cheating, Adrian! God! What's wrong with you?!" I shouted. He took a step towards me, "What's wrong with me?!" he shot back, "I _love you_, Rose!". Oh god. He'd said it. He'd said those three words that I feared were coming. I took another step back from him. "I've always loved you. From the moment I first saw you" he carried on. "Adrian, stop. Please" I said quietly. Surprisingly he did. "We're friends. That's all we can ever _be_" I told him, trying to sound as kind as I could, but at the same time, keeping my voice firm. "Because of _him?_" he challenged, bitterly. "Yes, because of him! _I love him_" I answered. Adrian swallowed, averting his eyes from me. He looked so upset, and I felt awful.

After a moment he turned back towards me, his expression had changed from pain to something else, he looked almost angry. "You love him?" he scoffed, "That's great. Good for you. The two of you. Really" he shot back at me. He was being sarcastic, I think covering his pain. Then he said, "But what about me, Rose? _Me!_ You can't expect me to just wake up one morning and stop loving you! Not after what he had for those two months". "I didn't expect that!" I argued back, trying to defend myself. "Yes you did!" he shot back. I sighed. He was right. Maybe it wasn't a conscious thing, but that's exactly what I'd expected him to do. And that was both unfair and wrong. "Do you even know how hard it is for me? Every day, I have to watch him kiss you. I have to watch him comfort you. I have to watch him hold you. I have to _watch!_". I swallowed. I didn't know what to say. I knew Adrian still had feelings for me, but I had no idea he still felt like this. "I… I didn't know you felt that way…" I managed quietly. Adrian let out a sharp laugh, he wasn't impressed. "How did you expect me to feel?!". I couldn't answer that. "God damnit, Rose! I helped bring the guy back from the _dead_ for you!". "I know! I know that" I replied, "And I will always be grateful for what you—" he cut me off, not hearing me. "It was all just a game to you, wasn't it? You never took us seriously. I was just the fill-in until you got your cradle-robbing mentor back" he said bitterly. My mouth fell open. I couldn't actually believe he'd just said that. He was hurting, yes, but he was going too far. I put my Guardian mask on, "It wasn't like that, Adrian. And you _know it!_" I growled at him.

We stared at each other for a moment, then, speaking firmly, I continued on, "I sure as hell took us seriously. And, I'm sorry it didn't work out between us. I really am. I'm sorry that I couldn't have the same feelings for you as I do for Dimitri. But what would you rather me have done? Cheat on you? Live some kind of lie? Because I'm not that type of person!". Adrian turned his head away from me and let out a silent breath. Despite knowing my next words would hurt him like hell, they needed to be said. I needed him to understand my feelings completely. "Adrian" I said softly. He turned back to face me, "I love you, but I'm not _in_ love with you" I told him, as kindly as I could. The pain that showed in his eyes and on his face was unbearable. I felt so bad. So, so bad. A lump formed in the back of my throat. And at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to wake up. He was one of my best friends, and I hated that he was hurting, and that I was cause of that hurt. For a while now, I'd thought that we might end up having a conversation like this, but I hadn't expected it to be so… horrible.

"I'm in love with Dimitri" I just about managed to carry on, "And, if you can't handle that, then, maybe Dimitri and I should move out" I suggested. Those last few words shocked him, but he immediately covered, "Maybe you should" he said stiffly. I sighed. "Adrian, I don't want to choose between the two of you. Please don't force me to" I said sadly, "Because it'll be him. It's always been him". He didn't really react to that; he just stared at me. After a moment, I said "Send me back". He didn't move. "Adrian, send me back" I repeated a little firmer. I had to get out of here; I didn't know how much more of this I could take. Suddenly he took a step towards me, "Rose—" I cut him off, taking a step backwards. "No. Just—no! Send me back!" I told him. Once again, Adrian just stared at me for a moment, then pulled a slight tentative smile, "I wish I couldn't feel anything for you, little Dhampir. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing" he said, pain spreading across his face and his tone grimmest of the grim. I swallowed, his words sent shivers down my spine. And then, the next thing I knew, I was staring up at the ceiling in my room.

Lying on my back, I let out a few breaths, trying to come to terms with what had just happened between me and Adrian. "Shit…" I mumbled as I pulled myself up into a sitting position. We'd had arguments in our dreams before, when I was in Russia to be exact, but it had been nothing like this. This was serious. He'd just told me that he was still very much in love with me, and I'd replied by saying I was in love with someone else. In that moment, I had no idea how we were ever going to get past this. I valued Adrian's friendship at lot, he, along with Lissa and Christian held a special place in my heart. And, I really did wish I could love him in the way that he wanted me to. But I couldn't. It was Dimitri that I loved like that. And, that was never likely to change. Hell, I knew it was wrong, but I'd even loved Dimitri we he'd been a Strigoi, when he'd been a monster. If that didn't prove how deep my love for him ran, then I didn't know what the hell did.

I suddenly realized – Dimitri! I turned to face his sleeping form – hoping to god that I'd not woken him. What would I say? How the hell would I explain why I was trying very hard not to freak out? I couldn't tell him what had just happened. I couldn't. As turned out, I didn't need to worry about waking him. He wasn't there. I turned to face my clock. It was almost four in the morning, where the hell was he? I threw the covers off of myself, reached for my jogging pants – which were on the floor where I'd left them. I quickly pulled them on and headed out of the room.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw a small ray of light coming from the lounge. I peaked in, and saw Dimitri sitting on the couch. He'd placed his elbow on the left arm of the couch, and his forehead was resting against his fist. The small tableside lamp faintly glowed beside him, casting a shadow over half of his face. He looked lost in his own thoughts. Like something was weighing heavily on his mind. After a moment I spoke, "Hey" I said softly. He jumped a little in surprise. "Rose…" he said, as he looked up, and over towards me. "What are you doing up at this hour?" I asked, as I walked across the room. I reached the couch and sat down next to him. As I did, he put him arm around me, and we both lent back into the couch, "I could ask you the same thing" he answered. I sighed, knowing that was a question. "I couldn't sleep" I told him. Worry spread across his face. "Oh, I didn't have a nightmare" I confirmed. Well, not in the strictest sense, I thought to myself. "I just… woke up. And wondered where you were". Okay, so that wasn't exactly the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either. I _had_ woken up, and I _had_ wondered where he was.

I turned the question back on him, before he could ask me anything else, "What about you?". "Just thinking…" was all he said. "About?" I pressed. He eyed me sadly, but said nothing. After a moment I suddenly understood. He was in _that_ place right now. The place he retreated to every so often. He was thinking about the awful things he done as a Strigoi. "Oh…" I said quietly. I really felt for him when he forced himself into this headspace. I couldn't imagine what he was going though, what kind of awful memories were playing over and over in his mind. I'd seen Strigoi kill, and it was vicious. When Dimitri had been a Strigoi, I'd once tried to imagine him killing someone. I'd told myself, this was what he was now. And it would help me to realise that he was now my enemy and no longer the man that I had once loved. But, as hard as I'd tried, I couldn't. I just couldn't picture him killing somebody. I couldn't even picture him with those red eyes. But when I had seen him for the first time, as a Strigoi, his red eyes were the first thing at stood out to me. They were the first thing that told me he was no longer my Dimitri.

I wrapped my free arm over his chest, "Is there anything I can do?" I asked quietly. I hated seeing him so sad. I wished he'd stop torturing himself like this. It wasn't healthy. He turned to face me, and gave me a slight smile. After a moment he tightened his grip on me a little, then shook his head. "Are you sure? I mean… if you want to talk about it…". He gave me another slight smile, then kissed me lightly on my forehead, "Thank you, Roza" he said quietly, "But, I… I have to deal with this in my own time, in my own way". I nodded. I understood what he meant. In a way, I could sort of understand the remorse he was feeling. I still felt an incredible sense of guilt towards what happened to Mason. Okay, so I hadn't actually killed Mason myself, but it had been my stupid actions that had led to him going to Spokane. Dimitri _had_ killed, and even though, at the time, his soul had been taken over by something unnaturally dark and evil, it still didn't make things any easier. The mind's conscience could be a bitch.

I lent my head on his chest, "I get it" I told him. "But, just know that, I'm here. Always. Okay?". "Okay" he replied. I'd told him this before, but it seemed like the right time to remind him. I looked up at him, "Good. Because, Rose Hathaway keeps her promises, you know". He arched an eyebrow. "Well, the important ones anyway" I added quickly. He looked a little confused. So I explained, "I once made a promise to you. That I'd never abandon you, remember?". It suddenly occurred to me, that, maybe he didn't remember. He smiled at me, "I remember" he replied. He did? What was I thinking? Of course he did. He could probably repeat back to me almost everything I'd ever said to him. "But, I'm not seeing ghosts, Rose". He was referring to what had led me to make that promise. He'd promised to never abandon me on the subject of my seeing ghosts, and I'd replied that I'd never abandon him either - if he started seeing ghosts. _Not that this stuff ever happens to you, of course_, I'd added quickly. He'd laughed at that.

I frowned at him. He thought he wasn't seeing ghosts, huh? He was wrong about that. Translucent forms may not be popping up in front of him, but he was certainly being haunted. "Maybe not _physical_ ghosts" I told him. He didn't respond directly to that, but from the expression he pulled, I knew he understood my point. After a moment, he sighed, and then said, "I don't want you to worry about me, Roza. I'm fine". I wasn't about to accept that. "Hey. That's _my_ line" I told him, "You can't have it" I said, jokingly. A smile played across his lips, and he gave a short, soft laugh, shaking his head slightly, in exasperation.

After a moment, I spoke again, "How am I not supposed to worry about you? I love you" I told him. His smile faded a little and he sighed softly. "You haven't said anything lately. About… you know…" I carried on. From the look on his face, I knew he understood what I was referring too; his pain, what he was going though, and the things he'd done when he'd been a Strigoi. In the first week after we'd arrived back at the house, he'd been so lost, so broken… almost catatonic. He'd refused to come out of my room. I'd barely managed to get him to eat, and I'd had to practically force him to talk to me. I'd hated hearing him talk about the things that he'd done as a Strigoi. It was awful listening to the violent and bloody acts themselves, but it was even worse to listen to his painful remorse. I'd felt so helpless, unable to ease his suffering. And there were a few times when I'd wondered if he'd ever recover. Looking at him now, just over a month later, I could see a significant change. He'd come a long way, but I knew he was still hurting every day, haunted by his actions. I knew it would take him a long time; years even, to even begin to heal properly. And, hey, maybe he never would heal, not completely. It was quite possible that he'd be haunted for the rest of his life.

He sighed again, "You've had a lot to deal with lately. I didn't want to add to that". Was he serious? "You're not adding to it" I told him firmly, "I said I'd help you though this. And I meant it. Dimitri, that help isn't going to stop just because I'm… having a few problems of my own". He slightly shook his head, "It's a little more than a few problems, Rose". I sighed. "Maybe" I agreed, "But that doesn't mean you have to… I don't know… act all macho-guy all of the time. I don't want you to pretend you're okay, if you're not. I don't want you to hide how you're feeling, just because you think I've got too much to deal with". I watched him carefully for a moment, trying to work out what he was thinking – with no luck. As usual. "Because hey, I can multi-task" I added. He smiled slightly. Then after a moment he spoke softly, "I love you, Roza. More than I can ever put into words". His tone was filled with so much love, so much passion, that I think my heart skipped a couple of beats. I gave him a smile of my own, and replied softly, "Right back at you, Comrade".

Over the next couple of days, there still had still been no news on Dimitri senior. I think court officials were now beginning to fear the worst. A couple of high-up Guardians had visited the house, and questioned Dimitri; Alberta had been with them also. I'm not sure if the Guardians believed him when he said he had nothing to do with his father's disappearance. Dimitri himself, seemed a little on edge regarding the whole situation, I'd tried to talk to him about it, but he'd shut me down, telling me that there was nothing to say on the subject. As much as I didn't believe for a second that he was okay with the whole thing, I decided not to push him. He had enough going on right now. And, hell, so did I.

As for Adrian and I, well, things seemed to go from bad to worse. We'd not spoken to each other at all since that night. He seemed to be taking the whole thing to the extreme. If I walked into the same room, he'd walk out. Lissa, Christian and Dimitri had obviously noticed the tension between us, and the three of them had questioned me on it. I'd said we'd had a fight, which, wasn't a complete lie. I had refused to go into detail on the subject. I'd said it was between me and Adrian, and that we'd sort it out.

Lissa in particular, kept pushing me on the subject, which I was beginning to get a little annoyed about. "Rose, you have _got_ to sort this out. You two can't keep going on like this!" She told me, as we headed to the Court's Feeding area. She and Christian needed their daily dose of blood, and, needing the air, I'd offered to walk with them - an offer, I was beginning to regret. I sighed. "Look, I will, okay?" I told her, "I will sort it". "When?" she pressed. I stopped walking "I don't know, Lissa!" I snapped. She and Christian both stopped walking also, and turned to face me. Lissa gave me a hurt look, and Christian looked pissed. I sighed again, "I'm sorry" I told my best friend. "Its okay" replied Lissa, as she took a step towards me, "I shouldn't have pushed. Whatever happened between you guys, well, I can see that it's serious". I just nodded slightly. I didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't wrong. "You guys _are_ going to be able to sort this out, right?" asked Christian. I hesitated for a moment. Were we? Truthfully, I didn't know. Adrian told me he still had serious feelings for me, and I'd told him that I didn't have those feelings for him. How do you get passed something like that? _Can_ you get passed something like that? And, it wasn't even just about his feelings towards me; he'd practically told me that he was jealous of Dimitri. His words played over in my mind, _Every day, I have to watch him kiss you. I have to watch him comfort you. I have to watch him hold you_. I shook my head; "I don't know" I told them both of them, "I hope so".

The three of us started walking again. "Right now, he can't even stand to be in the same _room_ as me" I muttered. "Yeah, but, he'll get over it. He's _a guy_" said Lissa. Christian shot her a mock-hurt look, "Hey! On behalf of my gender… what's _that_ supposed to mean?!". I laughed. Lissa put her arm around her boyfriend, "Oh baby, you know I wasn't talking about _you_" she said, sweetly, "You're different" she told him, with a loving smile. I snorted with laugher. Lissa and Christian both shot me an unimpressed look. I held up my hands in surrender, "Sorry. Sorry. Really. I think it's sweet. The two of you". Christian looked mortified, "Different? Sweet? Okay, can we please change the subject?" he begged. "Yes. Lets" said Lissa, "Rose was just about to tell us what's happened between her and Adrian". I gave her a when-hell-freezes-over kind of look "Nice try, Liss" I commended her, "Not going to work". She sighed.

It was starting to get a little chilly as I walked back to the house; I'd left Lissa and Christian at the Feeders. They'd said they might stop by the Coffee house on the way home. I took that as a hint that they wanted some alone time. Shivering a little, I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked, why the hell hadn't I thought to come out with a jacket? Suddenly I heard someone call my name, I looked back to see Alberta heading towards me. I stopped so that she could catch up. "Hello, Rose" she greeted. "Hey" I replied. "I'm glad I caught you, actually" she said, as she brushed a couple of stray wisps of hair out of her face. My stomach gave a lurch. "What's wrong? Did you hear something about Dimitri's father?" I asked. "What? Oh. No, no. I'm afraid not" she replied, "I know its a little cold, but, can we sit?" she asked, pointing to a nearby wooden bench. "Sure" I shrugged, wondering what the hell she wanted to talk to me about.

"I just wanted to wish you well. I am heading back to the Academy tomorrow morning" said Alberta, as sat we down on the bench. "Oh. Right" I muttered. That had taken me by surprise. But really, I didn't know why. Alberta's place was at the Academy, not here at court. "I… I guess this is goodbye, then" I stuttered. I really wasn't sure what to say. "Yes. For now, at least. However, I'm sure our paths will cross again soon" she replied quietly. I nodded. Silence fell between us. I suddenly wondered if she was expecting a hug? _No, don't be stupid, Rose_. I told myself.

After a few moments, Alberta broke the silence, staring across the street as she spoke, "Rose" she began, "I want you to know…." she hesitated for a moment, "I want you to know, I think you did the right thing. I think it was very brave of you. Dangerous, and, well, the word 'reckless', comes to mind. But brave none of the less". I stared at her. What the hell was she talking about? "He is a very lucky man". Ah, I realised. She was talking about changing Dimitri back. She turned to face me, "Not many people would do what you did for him. No matter how much they claim to love somebody". I swallowed. I never expected to be talking to Alberta about this. "I couldn't leave him like that…" I said quietly. "I knew there was a chance, and no matter how small… I had to try". She nodded slightly, "Yes. You two have something very special. Something very rare. I realised that soon after you starting training together". I gawped at her, "You _knew_ about us?" I asked astonished. She gave me a slight smile, "No. No, I did not know about your… relationship. If I had, in my position, I could have not let that carry on". "Oh" was all I managed to answer.

"I could see the two of you shared an incredible connection. And that you brought out the best in each other – in terms of your careers, I mean. He helped you gain a sense of self control" said Alberta. She gave me a pointed look, "Something you very much needed". I smiled. She wasn't wrong. "And it turn, you helped him to see that he could move on. That he could do his job, and do it well. Despite the tragic loss of his charge". I swallowed. I'd known Alberta for most of my life, and this was the first _personal_ conversation we'd ever had. Her words told me a lot. They told me that she thought very highly of both me and Dimitri. Until now, I didn't realise just how highly. "But, it was only after you dropped out of Academy, that I had time to think about it, put the pieces together, as it were. I realised how deep that connection ran. That you loved him, and he loved you". I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I remained silent. She sighed, "I'm not condoning how the two of you started out. You were his student. He should have known better". I looked down at my hands; I'd expected this from Alberta. "_But_, that is in the past. It is done. You are no longer an Academy student; he is no longer an Academy employee. Both of you are now free to pursue… well, each other". I had to smile at that. I don't think Alberta had this kind of conversation very often. "To a degree, at least" she added quickly. I looked up at her; she must have seen my frown, because she carried on, "You both still have your Guardian duties". I sighed. Yeah, we did. Or, rather, I did. "They come first" I muttered. Alberta gave me a sharp nod.

After a few moments, Alberta spoke again, "On the subject of your Guardian duties, I take it Dimitri has not yet had a change of heart?". I stared at her. She knew? He'd obviously talked to her about it, then. "Uh… No" I said. "Hmm. Give him time" Alberta answered. I looked up at her, "You think that's what he needs? Time? Because, he seemed pretty damn sure he was quitting when he talked to me about it". Alberta gave me a slight smile, "He's in a fragile place, right now, Rose". Yeah, _understatement_, I thought to myself. "Fragile place? Alberta, he's completely different to how he was before he was turned" I told her. "With everything going on right now… I'm not sure if he can get back to… how he was". Wow. I couldn't believe my own words. I couldn't believe I was opening up to someone - and Alberta of all people. "And, the scary thing is… I'm not even sure if he wants to". I sighed. "It's like… he's lost a part of himself". Alberta shifted a little in her seat, "Like I said, Rose. You just have to give him time. Be patient". Patient? What the hell did she think I was doing?

"He was doing so well, then his father turned up. And all of his progress kind of… went to hell" I carried on. "Yes, well, that certainly didn't help the situation" answered Alberta. Her tone surprised me; it was more than a little stiff. I glanced in her direction, wondering how much Dimitri had told her about his father. From her tone of voice, she obviously knew something of their strained relationship. "Yeah. He's not exactly daddy dearest" I muttered. Alberta let out a bitter laugh, "I should think not". She shook her head, "Well, if you ask me, it's as good as murder". I froze. What? What the hell was she talking about? "Of course," Alberta carried on, oblivious to my shock, "It would never stand up in court. It could never be proven. It would be Dimitri's word against his fathers". My brain was in hyper drive. What was she talking about? Dimitri, I realised, had told Alberta something about his father that he'd not told me. Anger surged though me. How could he do that? How could he tell Alberta and not me? She turned to face me, I think expecting some kind of response. "Mmm" I muttered with a nod. I knew that if I wanted to find out what Dimitri's father had done, I needed to pretend that I already knew. I wasn't sure if Alberta would continue with the conversation if she realised that I didn't know. She let out a sigh, her tone was bitter, "I don't wish to speak ill of Royals, but in this case… The man is clearly…" she hesitated for a moment, and let out a deep breath, "Well… to have your _own_ _child_ turned Strigoi… there are no words" she finished.

I stared at her, open mouthed, frozen to the spot. For a moment, I thought I'd heard her wrong. And, I was sure I'd stopped breathing. I was having trouble comprehending this. _Dimitri's father had him turned?_ No, no that wasn't right. How could that be right? I was there, in the caves, when Nathan had sunk his fangs in to Dimitri's neck. I was there, in Russia, when Nathan had said he'd turned Dimitri for his skills and knowledge of the Moroi. How could Dimitri senior be responsible? I couldn't hide my shock. But fortunately Alberta wasn't looking at me. She let out another sigh, "All things considered, he's coping remarkably well with that… revelation". Yeah, I thought to myself, he is. Well enough to keep it from me. "Yeah…" I just about managed to breathe. I couldn't take this any longer; so many things were spinning around inside my head, I couldn't think straight. I had to talk to Dimitri. Now. I thanked Alberta for the chat, and made some excuse about having to meet Lissa. We said our goodbyes, and parted. Then once Alberta was out of slight, I sprinted the rest of the way home.

* * *

End of Part Ten. I hope you enjoyed it. Once again, sorry it took a while to get out this time. Anyway, I will be starting Part Eleven soon. So stay tuned!


	12. Ghosts: Part Eleven

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: GHOSTS (Part Eleven)****  
**"As his eyes met mine, I saw the hunger in them. He wanted my blood, he wanted all of it. And he was going to enjoy every moment of draining me"

Thanks once again for all of the reviews. It's so nice to get the feedback on what I love to write. I'm very pleased that you are enjoying this story. So, if you want more, then please continue to review, review, review! Thanks again everyone!

And so here you go, I present to you, part "Eleven" of "Ghosts". This is the penultimate chapter to this story. I'm SO SO SO sorry that this has taken me so long to get posted. I know you've all been waiting patiently. I've been so busy, and also this chapter (for some reason) has been hard for me to write. BUT here you go, it's here now, and to make up for the delay it's a LONG chapter! In fact, it's the longest chapter yet! Yay! I hope you enjoy it. This is what the story has been building up to. It's the big fight scene! It's intense! It's brutal! It's emotional! It's—well, read for yourself! Enjoy!

AS I OPENED THE FRONT DOOR, I TOOK a few breaths, trying to calm myself. It didn't work, anger still surged though me. I couldn't believe Dimitri would keep something like this from me. I found him in our room, sitting in the wicker chair, engrossed in a western novel. I closed the door and turned to face him, "Why didn't you tell me?" I said, not bothering with the peasantries, getting straight to the point. He looked up from his book, surprised at my tone, I think. "Tell you what?" he asked. I tried to keep my tone level, "I just ran into _Alberta_. She told me. About your father. About what he _did_". That got his attention. "She thought I knew" I carried on. He averted his eyes for a moment, then closed his book and put it to one side.

"Rose—" he started, standing up. I cut him off. "How long have you known? Have you known all along?" I asked, walking a few more paces towards him. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "No" he said, shaking his head a little, "He told me when he came to the house". Silence fell between us for a moment. I broke it, "So why didn't you tell me? Didn't you think I deserved to know?" I challenged. Dimitri sighed, "You did. Of course you did" he answered gently. I did? So then what the hell stopped him from telling me?. "Rose, why don't you sit down?" he said softly, gesturing to the bed. I wasn't having any of that, "I'm fine right here, thanks" I told him, sharply, crossing my arms. Dimitri let out another sigh. I ignored it. "So, why didn't you tell me?" I repeated, this time with more force. I was trying extremely hard to control my temper. After a moment, he spoke, "I was worried. I knew how you would react" he answered. My defences rose, "How I'd—" I stopped myself. What was he suggesting? "And how is _that_, exactly?" I demanded. "Like this!" he said, gesturing at the situation. "You'd want to do something about it. Confront him". He was right, that's exactly what I would have wanted to do. "Damn right I would!" I shot back. "Dimitri, what he did—" he cut me off, "Rose, I did not want you anywhere near him". I stared at him, taking in his words. "Do you think I'm afraid of your father?" I asked. He moved another step closer to me. "It's not about being afraid of him" he said softly, "It's about his power. His influence. Rose, my father is _not_ a man you want as your enemy". I swallowed; taking in the seriousness of his tone. I looked up into his face. His warm brown eyes which normally melted my heart, portrayed something else, worry.

"He is _dangerous_. You stand up to him, you wind up dead" said Dimitri. His tone was quiet, but the seriousness of it had amplified a little. "Or worse" he added. I knew what he meant by that. He was talking about his farther having him turned. Dimitri carried on, "Rose, I was going to tell you. I promise you that. I did not mean to keep it from you. And I did not want you to find out in the way that you did". As I looked up in to his face, I could see that he was sorry. I could see that he was desperately trying to make me understand his reasons for not telling me, but right now I didn't care. I didn't care that his father was dangerous. I didn't care that he might have sent someone to kill me. I was still too frustrated and angry. "But you _didn't!_" I said, my voice getting louder, "You _didn't_ tell me! All this time… all this time you made me believe that Nathan acted alone. _You lied to me!_". Dimitri swallowed, "I know" he said sadly, his voice barely a whisper. "I know, and I'm sorry. Roza, I am. But, I couldn't risk—I couldn't risk him hurting you". He shook his head, "Not _you_. I couldn't bare that…". Something in his tone, in his words, made me swallow. Some part of me, I think, understood why he'd lied to me, but that understanding was overridden by that Rose Hathaway anger. I couldn't forgive him for it. Not yet. I was being huge hypocrite, I realized that. It wasn't as if I'd been a hundred percent truthful towards him over the past few weeks. But, in that moment, I just didn't care.

I shook my head, turned away from him, and headed across the room, towards the door. "Rose? Where are you going?" he asked. I turned back to face him. "Please" he carried on, "We need to talk about this". "_We_ don't need to do _anything!_" I snapped. I needed to get out of there, before I said something that I might regret. I turned back to the door, and was just reaching for the handle when suddenly I felt his hand on my arm. He gently pulled me back to face him – and, not knowing why, I let him. He lightly placed his hands around my waist. "Rose, please" he said, his tone sort of desperate, "Don't walk out like this". I turned my head so that I wasn't looking at him. He spoke again. "Roza, I just wanted to protect you…" he told me. His tone was so quiet that I barely caught his words. I tensed. And as I did, I knew he felt it. I pulled myself out of his grasp. Protect me? Seriously? After everything I'd been through over the past nine months, after everything his Strigoi self had put me through? Did he really think I needed protection? And, in his current state, did he really think _he_ could protect me? "Lying to me _isn't_ protecting me!" I spat, fully knowing that a couple of weeks ago, our positions had been reversed and I'd convinced myself that my lying to him was for his own protection. The word 'Hypocrite' came to mind again. Fuming, I ignored it. "I don't _need_ your protection, Dimitri" I told him, "I need your _honesty!_". As soon as those words left my mouth, I knew they'd hurt him. I saw the pained expression in his eyes. A guilty sensation began to rise in my chest; however, I forced myself to push it away. Turning back to the door once again, I ripped it open and walked out, slamming it behind me. I ran down the stairs and out of the front door, slamming that behind me also. Dimitri didn't follow. I think he knew better than to come after me.

The night's air seemed even chillier than when I'd been sitting talking with Alberta, a little more than half an hour ago. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked slowly though the Court's campus. For the second time tonight, I wished I brought a jacket out with me. Damn, I could be so stupid sometimes. My head was spinning from the fight I'd had with Dimitri. I was still fuming. I still couldn't believe he'd kept such a big thing from me. And why? Because he thought if I'd of known, I would have done something reckless? Okay, maybe he had a point. Maybe I would have done. Maybe I would have called his father out on it. Maybe I would have even beaten the shit out of him. But what if I had? It's not like he wouldn't have deserved it, right? What kind of guy has his own child turned into an evil, twisted monster? Clearly he wasn't playing with a full sack. Dimitri's words suddenly came rushing back, _Rose, my father is not a man you want as your enemy. He is dangerous. You stand up to him, you wind up dead. Or worse_. Was that why Dimitri senior had his son turned? Because Dimitri had stood up to him? Or had there been more to it than that? I recalled a conversion between Dimitri and I, about his father. He'd said there were things that had happened between the two of them, that he wasn't ready to talk about, and he didn't know if he ever would be. Was this it? His father orchestrating his being turned Strigoi? I made a mental note to ask Dimitri about that – if I didn't knock him out first. I sighed. Where the hell was Dimitri senior anyway? Nobody had heard from him in almost four days. Had he been taken by Strigoi that night, like court officials where beginning to fear? Whatever. _If_ that was the case, well, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, really, could it. Wherever the hell his father was, liked I told Dimitri, I wasn't afraid of the guy.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap, which brought me out of my thoughts. I sensed someone nearby. Whirling round, I came face to face with three large figures, standing perhaps ten feet away from me, their features hidden by the shadows of the trees. "Rose Hathaway" one of them said. I knew that voice. "What would a little girl like you being doing out here all by herself?" said Dimitri's father. "Taking in the sights" I shot back, "This place is particularly beautiful this time of night" I carried on, my tone dripping with sarcasm. I heard him chuckle. "It's about time you showed your face back here. Do you know half of Court has been looking for you?" I told him. "Really?" he answered. He seemed surprised. "Yeah" I said, "Can't think why. A complete waste of everyone's time, if you ask me". He chuckled again. I was beginning to loathe that sound.

Just then, his two companions emerged from the shadows, and walked towards me. Taking one look at them both, I realised they were humans. What the hell were human's doing in Court? "Humans?" I said, mocking disgust. "You've got to be kidding me!". I don't know why I'd said that really. I had nothing against humans. Technically, I was half human. But the comment seemed kind of smart at the time. Both humans however, seemed to take offence to that. Their twisted expressions conveyed anger. I suppressed a laugh. Then, before I knew what was happening, one of them lunged at me. Catching me off guard, I just about managed to sidestep him. However, the other one caught my arm, holding me fast. Swinging round with my free hand, I struck out my fist towards my captor, but it didn't connect, the other human caught my arm, stopping the blow I was just about to land to his friend. "Son of a bitch!" I muttered, struggling to free myself from their grip – with no luck.

Dhampir's were stronger than humans; I'd knocked out the odd couple in my life time, but these guys? They seemed stronger than most – and they were actually doing a pretty good job at restraining me. "Look, guys" I said, looking from one to the other, "That comment back there? It was nothing personal. Really". One of them grunted at me. I began to struggle against them again as they dragged me towards the shadows, towards Dimitri's father. _Oh this is not good_, I told myself. That's when I decided, these humans had to go. I kicked out with my legs towards the human on the left, not expecting my attack, he stumbled, letting go of my arm. Immediately, I swing it round and punched the other human hard in the face. I heard a crack, and blood splattered. I think I broke his nose. Giving a shout of pain, he also let go of me, raising his hands to his face. Not wasting any time, I kicked him in the chest; he flew backwards, crashing hard into a chain-link fence. After a moment, he slid down to the ground. He was out cold. After taking a second to catch my breath, I rounded on the other human, who had recovered and was now coming for me. He saw his friend slumped up against the fence and came to a halt. "What's the matter, you never seen a girl fight before?" I asked him. And with that, not giving him the chance to respond, I flew at him, landing a punch to his chest. He doubted over in pain as my fist connected hard with his chin. His eyes went wide with shock, and then he too slumped to the ground. Also out cold.

Catching my breath, I stared down at the now unconscious humans. _Go Rose!_ I mentally applauded myself. Suddenly I saw movement from within the shadows. My head snapped up, and I braced myself. Dimitri senior emerged from the darkness, clapping slowly as he walked towards me. "Very impressive" he said, as he came to a stop about ten feet away. I looked up into his face, just as a whorl of nausea cashed into me like a truck. I gasped as the realisation hit: Dimitri senior was now a Strigoi. In that moment, I could do nothing but stare at him, trying to contemplate why I hadn't been hit with nausea right away. His red eyes stood out in the darkness, staring back at me. Suddenly the reason as to why those humans had been with him made perfect sense; they were his way though the wards into Court. I started to panic. This was not good. Strigoi had no real motives for killing – besides the bloodlust, I mean - they just killed for the sake of killing, for the sake of violence. Dimitri's father _did_ have a motive. He hated me. Shit. I was double-dead.

Realising that I knew what he was, Dimitri senior's smile grew into a sneer. "Surprised, little girl?" he asked. Was I? Some part of me wanted to say no. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, so I didn't answer him. Instead, I backed up a few steps. He saw it, "Do you really think that will do you any good?" he asked. He was right. There was no way I'd be able to out run him. He was faster and stronger than me. And he knew I knew that. Pushing through my fear, I realised I'd have to fight him. _He's one Strigoi, Rose. You've beaten more than one before. You can do this_, I told myself. If I wasn't trying so hard not to freak out, I would have laughed at myself; an a little under thirty minutes ago, I'd told Dimitri that I wasn't afraid of his father, but now faced against the Strigoi version of him, my fear was rising with every second. Irony sucks - Pun intended.

I took a few silent breaths, trying to calm myself. I needed to let go of the panic. Panicking would get me killed. "What do you want?" I asked him. Damn. My words came out a little shakier than I would have liked. The Strigoi saw my fear and laughed. "What do I want?" he repeated my own question. He took a couple of steps towards me. "My _son_" he growled, "That's what I _want_, Ms Hathaway". Damn. I'd been afraid of that. He'd come for Dimitri. Well, there was no way in hell I was going to let him take him. "Over my dead body!" I shot back at him. He chuckled, "That can be arranged. In fact, that _is about_ to be arranged". I tensed. Could I have phrased that sentence any worse? _Good one, Rose. Very clever_, I chastised myself.

Dimitri senior moved a couple of steps towards me. "You took him from me once, I'm _not_ going to let that happen again" I told the Strigoi, as I moved into a fighting stance. He laughed, "_You're_ going to stop _me?_" he said in a mocking tone. I glared at him, "Yes" I answered though gritted teeth, sounding oddly certain of that fact. I actually had no idea if I would be able to win this fight, but if it meant stopping him from getting to Dimitri, I would do everything in my power to put an end to this monster. Without warning, Dimitri's father lunged at me. He was fast, so, so fast. However, I managed to dodge him - barely. My heart began to race, as the adrenaline kicked it. Seconds later the fight was in full swing. Dimitri senior and I danced around each other, looking for an opening shot to attack. As the moments ticked on by, we both gave and received blows. I wasn't doing bad against him, actually. I was managing to hold my own. But, I knew the only reason I was still alive at this point, was because the Strigoi was playing with me.

"I agreed for my son to be awakened" Dimitri's father stated, as we began to circle each other again. "He was on a path. He was set to do incredible things. But you, _you_ had to interfere. Well, that won't happen this time. There will be no _you_ to interfere!". My anger rose as Dimitri senior spat out his words. My thoughts travelled back to when I'd first seen Dimitri as a Strigoi. His red eyes, those pale features, and worst of all, that cold tone. It made me feel sick. "You're a sick son of a bitch, you know that?" I growled at him. "Even before you became a monster" I added. That question repeated in my head, how could a father have his own child turned into a monster? What kind of sick logic was that? The Strigoi laughed at me. "Nathan was such a good boy. He followed my orders perfectly" said Dimitri's father. Nathan. The thought of him made my blood run cold. He was dead now, yes, but that didn't stop my hatred for the guy. "How did you do it?" I blurted out, "Why the hell would a Strigoi take orders from a Moroi?!". Dimitri senior smirked at me, "Let's just say… I can be very convincing". Was that his way of saying that he threatened a Strigoi? Damn. Dimitri wasn't wrong about his father. And now that he was a Strigoi himself… Did I really stand a chance here? I pushed my fear to the back of my mind again, and looked up into the Strigoi's cold red eyes. I hated this man. He'd caused the man I loved so much pain. He was the reason Dimitri had been to hell and back. He was the reason _I_ had been to hell and back. In that moment, I was glad he was no longer Moroi. I was glad he was a Strigoi. It meant that I could do something about it. Killing him couldn't reverse the pain he'd caused, but, shoving a stake deep into his evil, twisted heart? _That_ would be a hell of a start. So, embracing the anger, letting that darkness and rage get the better of me, I lunged for him.

Once again, we began to trade blows. The Strigoi's hits came harder and faster then mine, but once again, I just about managed to hold my own. That was, until disaster struck. Too caught up on hitting out at the Strigoi, I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings. The heel of my right foot hit the curb of the sidewalk, and I momentarily lost my balance. I quickly managed to right myself, but it was already too late. The mistake had been made, and the Strigoi only needed a second to over power me. Too quickly he reached out with his fist and landed a hard punch to my face. I went down. I hit the ground with a thud, pain shot though my back, and black spots began to cloud my vision. _Get up, Rose. Get the hell up!_ I told myself. Pushing past the pain, I managed to climb to my feet, just as Dimitri's father lunged at me again. With that unnaturally fast speed he grabbed me by the front of my jacket and lifted me off the ground. I struggled to break free from his grip, but my efforts were in vain. He was too strong. "Tell me," he said, loving very moment of my distress, "Is this the _best_ the infamous Rose Heathway can do?!". My answer to that was to struggle harder in his grip - which was pointless. I wasn't going anywhere. The Strigoi laughed at me, as my struggles continued and my panic began to rise again. This was bad. This was _very_ bad. "Let me go, you son of a bitch!" I shouted at him. He laughed me again. Then, I saw him eye a brick wall, about ten feet away. I knew exactly what he was planning to do. And, shit, it was going to hurt. A lot.

It did. With terrific force, Dimitri's father threw me across the street, and I smashed into the wall. My head cracked against the bricks and stars began to dance in my eyes. As I hit the ground in a crumbled heap, I was sure I could taste blood in the back of my throat. Not good. I tried to pull myself up into a sitting position, but the most I could manage was to prop myself up on my elbow. The Strigoi stalked towards me, then crouched down to my level. I looked up at him; those cold red eyes looked back into mine as he spoke, "You put up a brave fight. Really. I'm impressed". I glared at him. Was he being sarcastic? "But, do you know what's going to happen now?" he carried on. Yes, I did. He was going to kill me. Break my neck, if I was lucky. Drain me of my blood, if I wasn't. "I'm going to finish what I started with my son. Then, I'm going to finish off the Dragomir line" he told me, evilly. "And, _then_," he carried on, "I'm coming back for _you_, little girl. I'm going to use you for what you are. _A Blood whore_". Honestly, at this point, I didn't care what his plans were for me. What I _did_ care about was his plans for the two people I loved most in this world. Dimitri and Lissa. No way in hell was I going to let this monster hurt them. "There's _no way_ I'm letting you touch them!" I spat at him. The Strigoi laughed at me again, as he stood up. looking down at me, he said, "I'd love to see you try and stop me". He gave me one last smirk, and then turned on his heel.

As I watched him walk away, I knew I had to stop him. He was planning on doing god knows what to Dimitri and Lissa. I couldn't let that happen. I _wouldn't_ let that happen. Biting back the pain in my skull, and using every last ounce of my strength, I painfully picked myself up. Then, willing my muscles to work, I made a dead run for Dimitri's father. I was about two feet away form him, in mid charge, when I pulled my silver stake from my belt. As I reached him, I aimed a hard punch to his back. But my fist didn't connect with it. The Strigoi sensed me coming and spun around to face me. God, for a newly turned Strigoi, he was so fast, and so strong. I knew there was only one way he could possess that kind of strength in the few days that he'd been turned. He'd fed on Moroi. As he spun round, with lighting fast speed, he viciously caught hold of my hands. His left hand stopped my left fist from punching him, while his right hand caught my right wrist – which was holding my weapon. Shocked, I could do nothing but stare at him. I hadn't anticipated his moves. His grip tightened, so that it was actually beginning to hurt. However, I sure as hell wasn't going to show any weakness.

Realising that my enemy had the top half of my body immobilized, I did the only thing I could, I kicked out at him with my legs. But, sensing my moves, Dimitri senior stepped out of my reach. "I don't think so, little girl" he snarled. It really wasn't hard for him to side step my attempted blows, my balance was severely off, as I was still feeling incredibly weak and dizzy from colliding with the wall. Panicking, I tried to free my hands from his iron grip – with no luck. The Strigoi laughed as he watched me struggle, "Come on," he taunted me, a huge grin spread across his face, "_You're_ the one who wanted to play some more. Now you want to leave?". I ignored his words, and, gritting my teeth, I continued to try and break free from his hold. It was pointless, some part of me realised, but like I said, I wasn't going to show any weakness by giving up. I wasn't going to let him think that he'd beaten me. I wasn't going to— then it happened. Before I could do anything to stop him, the Strigoi tightened his grip on my right wrist (the one holding my stake) and then viciously brought my own weapon down towards me.

I thought I knew pain. In my life time, I'd been in numerous fights, I'd been in dangerous situations, and I'd sustained various injures – okay, so they hadn't been serious (besides my dying – which I don't remember much about), but they had sure as hell hurt; breaking my ankle for example. But this, _this_ was something else. At first, I wasn't even sure what I was seeing was real. I thought I was imagining it. I saw the pointed silver weapon pierce my shirt - about an inch above my belly button. And, for a few moments, both Dimitri's father and I just stared at the stake penetrating from my stomach. Then I saw blood, and the pain hit me. At first it was a kind of dull ache, but then that ache began to intensify, and in the moments that followed, it completely overwhelmed me. Looking up at the Strigoi, I started to panic. A smile played across his face. He was pleased with his actions. I felt him remove his hand from my wrist and place it tightly around my own hand – which, somehow, was still gripping the stake. I cried out. I knew what he was about to do, and I could do nothing to stop him.

Strigoi couldn't touch silver stakes. Silver stakes were full of living magic, and Strigoi being undead, they were cut off from that. This was why Dimitri's father was using my hand as a protective cover. With great force and speed, he ripped the embedded weapon from my stomach. Terrific pain shot though my entire body, and I couldn't help but scream from the pain. After a few moments, the Strigoi let go of me, and I fought with everything I had to remain upright. I couldn't quite manage it though, and I doubled over, dropping my weapon in the process. My hands instinctively shot to my stomach covering the wound. I looked down to see that the lower half of my shirt was covered in blood. Shit. This was bad. This was _really_ bad. I swallowed, biting back the pain. My panic began to rise. I was in a bad way, I realised that. I needed an escape plan, and I needed it now. _Think, Rose! Think!_ I told myself. But I couldn't. All I could seem to focus on was the excruciating pain taking hold of my entire body and mind. Dimitri's father spoke. I didn't catch what he said, but as I looked up at him, I saw his fist come towards my face. Then, once again, I flew across the street, landing in a heap, the back of my head smashing against the sidewalk. And if it was possible, more pain shot though me.

Gasping for breath, I tried to get up, knowing that if I didn't, I mostly likely wouldn't live though the next minute. As I lifted my head, dizziness crashed into me, and once again, the taste of copper filled the back of my throat. Then, he was there. Dimitri's father was on top of me, pinning me to the ground. I cried out, struggling against him. He laughed in my face as he held my arms tightly across my chest. I felt myself begin to tremble. And in that moment, I knew. I knew my enemy had won. I couldn't move, he had me trapped. Dimitri senior lent his face down towards mine, "You know what, little girl?" he told me in whispered menacing tone, "I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill you. Right here, right now. Then, I'm going to find my son, and the Dragomir Princess". Tears began to leak from my eyes. I knew every word he spoke was the truth. He was going to kill me, and then go after Dimitri and Lissa. And, there was nothing I could do to stop him. I was too weak to fight. And he knew it.

"Please..." I begged, "Please leave them alone…". The Strigoi laughed at me again. "This is how it ends Rose Hathaway. You die here, _alone_. Leaving those you care for unprotected. I'd say you really _have_ failed as a Guardian, have you?". I said nothing. He was right. I _had_ failed. I'd failed Dimitri, and I'd failed Lissa. He flashed me another of his wicked smiles. As his eyes met mine, I saw the hunger in them. He wanted my blood, he wanted all of it. And he was going to enjoy every moment of draining me. Oh god, I thought to myself, this was it. His face would be the last thing I'd ever see. As he lent down towards my neck, my terror rose. I felt his teeth clasp my skin. I'd been bitten by a Strigoi before - the Strigoi version of Dimitri. When he'd bitten me, although he was a monster, he'd done it in an almost romantic soft way. He'd been trying to turn me on. His father wasn't. As Dimitri senior bit down on my flesh, he tore at it; he didn't care what he was doing. I was just a meal to him.

For a moment, I forget all about the gaping hole in my stomach, the Strigoi's teeth ripping into my flesh seemed to take priority. I felt a sharp, piercing pain – and then it was gone. And, just like Strigoi Dimitri's bite, a rush of sheer bliss overtook my entire being. As the moments ticked on by, I lost track of my surroundings, I lost track of myself, as the endorphins consumed me. Golden joy and happiness flowed though my body and mind, and I felt wonderful. I felt like nothing bad could touch me, I felt like everything was right in the world, I felt as if I could— then, just like that, all of that happiness and joy left me in a flash. It was like it had been pulled right out of me. Through my blissful daze, I realised why; the Strigoi had broken away from my neck and was looking over his shoulder, he'd heard something, something I hadn't. In that moment, I wanted to kill whoever the hell it was that had interrupted us. They had taken all that joy away from me. I wanted the joy back— no, I _needed_ the joy back. I needed it so badly. And if the only way for me to get it back was for the Strigoi to bite me again, well, then I'd welcome it.

I started to assemble the words in my brain to beg to be bitten a second time, but suddenly a voice brought me out of that blissful haze and crashing back to reality. A voice I'd know anywhere. "Rose! Roza!". It was Dimitri. And he sounded terrified. The sound of the man I loved shouting my name was like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown over me. In the next moment, pain shot though me again. I gasped as the agony of it wrapped itself around me; bringing me further out of my blissful state. At first I wondered what the hell had happened, then, slowly I began to fight past my daze, and I remembered the Strigoi stabbing me with my own weapon. I heard Dimitri shout my name again, this time his voice sounded closer. Too close. No! No, he couldn't be here. Not _here_. Here was bad. His father was here, and I was in no condition to protect him. Right now I couldn't even protect myself. Suddenly, I felt Dimitri senior pull away from me and then, the next thing I saw was the most beautiful sight in the world. Dimitri. He was on his knees, hovering over me. I smiled at him, in an uncontrolled, goofy way - the buzz from the bite still very much lingering in my veins. His eyes were wide, and he looked as terrified as he'd sounded. I saw him glace at my stomach, and I knew he'd spotted the blood. He muttered something to himself, I think it was in Russian, but didn't catch what he said, so I wasn't sure.

As the seconds passed, the pain that was slowly over taking me again, began to get stronger and stronger, and I started to feel extremely nauseous – and that wasn't because there was a Strigoi present. Speaking of Dimitri's father, where the hell was he? However, in the next moment I had my answer. A strangled scream pieced my ears. Dimitri's head whipped round in the direction of it, I craned my neck to also get a look. In doing so, I was able to see what he saw. His father was feeding from a limp body. A Man's body. A man dressed in Guardian attire. Dimitri had brought help. But that help was now dead. Dimitri swore as his father finished feeding and the Guardian's dead body fell to the ground. The Strigoi ran his hand over his mouth, wiping away the blood, then turned his attention to me and his son. I felt Dimitri tense slightly as his father gave us his usual smirk, only this time it was more menacing. Hunger still shone in his cold red eyes. He wanted to feed again. He wanted our blood. Seconds later, he was standing over us; I'd barely seen him move. Then, the next thing I felt was Dimitri being ripped away from me.

I watched in horror as the Strigoi threw the man I loved across the street, like he was nothing more than a child's rag doll. Dimitri hit the ground with a thud, landing in a heap, as I barely managed to stiffen a scream. Without thinking what I was doing, I pulled myself up into a sitting position, in an attempt to get up and run to his aid. Wrong move. Nauseating pain ripped though my entire body as my stomach muscles creased. I cried out in pain and instinctively my hands shot down towards my stomach, protectively covering my wound. My vision began to blur a little as I fought to stay upright. Some part of me—some stupid part, wanted that joyous buzz back. Anything to kill what I was feeling right now. Unable to stand the agony of sitting up any longer, I topped over, landing on my side. _Get up, Rose! Get up!_ I told myself. _He needs you!_ But I couldn't. As much as I tried to force myself past the pain, I couldn't move. My muscles refused to budge. All I was able to do was to crane my neck to see what was going on twenty foot away.

Slowly, Dimitri picked himself up and rose to his feet. He turned to face his father, looking incredibly nervous. It may have been my blurring vision, but I was sure he was shaking ever so slightly. The Strigoi noticed his son's uneasy movements, "This is going to be easier than I thought" he said. "Go to hell!" spat Dimitri. His father laughed, "My, my, we are brave, aren't we" he stated, pulling one of his annoying grins. Dimitri didn't answer. As I watched father and son face off from each other, I felt my self beginning to tremble. All of a sudden it seemed to be getting really, really cold. Too cold for this time of year. Not only that, my blurring vision was fast becoming a thumping headache. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying to relieve some of the pain. No such luck. When I opened them again, I saw the Strigoi's fist fly out towards his son. Dimitri dodged the blow, but barely. In the moments that followed, an all out fight began between the two of them. The Strigoi and Dhampir circled each other, both ready to defend themselves from the others attack.

It wasn't long before father and son where both giving and receiving vicious hits. Dimitri was receiving the hits more so than his father. Dimitri senior was a new Strigoi, and newly turned Strigoi weren't famous for having the ability to fight – well, not right away anyway – unless they'd been Dhampir's before they'd been turned. But, wow, this asshole knew some moves. I wondered if he'd had some form of training in his Moroi life. It would have been more than a little strange if he had, but it would explain why he could fight. Moroi didn't fight in combat. They left that to their Guardians. Usually. Watching the two of them, something else occurred to me, maybe the Strigoi looked liked a good fighter, because, well, Dimitri at this point in time, didn't. I'd never seen the man I loved fight in such a sloppy way. He looked as if he had no idea what he was doing. His punches were off, as was his breathing, as for his foot work, well, let's just say, it was bad. And on top of that, he looked incredibly shaky. He didn't look anything like the man who'd I come to know as a badass fighter.

Watching Dimitri fight like this was beginning to scare me. Yes, he was holding his own against the Strigoi, but only just. One wrong move, one unlucky strike, and it would be over. His father would win. Dimitri was in trouble, anyone could see that. Despite my body warning me to stay put, I tried to get up once again. It was instinct, I had to help him. I think I managed to lift myself two inches from the ground before my muscles refused to move any further. As I lay on the ground, panting from the tremendous effort of trying to get up, the pain in my stomach, I realised seemed to be getting worse. I glanced down and was horrified to see that there was a hell of a lot more blood covering my shirt than there had been two minutes ago. Once again, panic began to settle in, and, I did everything in my power to fight the urge to throw up. Shit. This was bad. I wasn't an idiot. I knew I needed help. Now. It was times like these that I wished the bond between me and my best friend worked both ways.

Suddenly, Dimitri's father spoke, and my attention left my own dire situation and returned to the fight. "Come on, son!" taunted the Strigoi, "You can do better than this! Where's that fighting Spirit? Where's that great, well respected Guardian, that I've heard _so much_ about?!" he carried on. Dimitri pulled a pissed off expression and gritted his teeth, trying his best to ignore his father and concentrate on the fight. My thoughts turned to his father words. Where were those things he had talked about? Gone. Dimitri had lost those abilities when we'd had changed him back. When _I'd_ had him changed back. Now, he was a mess. And I couldn't shake the feeling that it was my fault. If he died in this fight, if his father beat him—and it was looking very much that way—it would be on _me_.

Dimitri grunted as his father's fist connected with his face. He flew back at few feet, but by sheer luck, didn't go down. Now a few meters are apart, the Strigoi gave his son another smug smirk, and then laughed. "What's so funny?!" spat Dimitri, enraged. "Look at you!" answered his father, "You're a mess. You can barely fight". Dimitri didn't answer, he just glared. "Perhaps you never were as great as they said" continued the Strigoi, "Perhaps _this_ is why you're charge was killed. Because you're a _failure_ as a Guardian" he added. At the mention of Ivan Zeklos's name, Dimitri bulked. Ivan's death had nothing to do with Dimitri's skills as a Guardian. He'd been on leave when it had happened. Ivan had been with his other Guardian, who had also been killed. But that didn't stop the guilt from consuming Dimitri every day. Ivan had not just been his charge; he'd been his close friend as well. I wanted to shout and scream at the Strigoi. How dare he bring that up, it was beyond cruel. But I couldn't. I couldn't shout, I didn't have the energy. "I guess that was a _little_ hush of me," rambled on Dimitri senior. I swear, even as a Strigoi, this guy liked to hear himself talk. "Lord Zeklos _was_ a man who needed protection most of the time. He was a man of politics. He had many great ideas. It was a shame those ideas didn't sit too well with a lot of Moroi. A lot of _important_ Moroi. _Me_ for example" he added with a smirk. I froze. And so did Demitri.

The realization hit both of us at the same time. I looked from the Strigoi to the man I loved. Dimitri had paled. He looked like he wanted to vomit. Shock overwhelming him, he could barely get his words out, "You… It was _you_… You had Ivan killed…" he breathed. Looking pleased with himself, the Strigoi nodded. Dimitri swallowed, looking sick. After a few moments he spoke. "You had an innocent man killed, because of _Politics_?!". The Strigoi shrugged. "It was a strong contributing factor, yes. But it was not the _main_ reason" he answered, with a vicious smile. I watched Dimitri as he began to tremble with anger. "Then what _was_ the main reason?!" he spat. I knew what was coming next. I'd worked it out, and I was pretty sure Dimitri had to. "You" said his father, simply. "He meant something to _you_". Dimitri couldn't speak. He was stunned at his fathers reasoning, and I had to admit, so was I. Although, I didn't know why. This was the guy who'd had his own child turned into an evil monster. The Strigoi looked towards me, "Just as she does" he said. Dimitri followed his fathers gaze. "And that, _my son_, is why she too is going to die". "You really hate me that much?" breathed Dimitri. He spoke in such a low tone that I barely caught his words. His father didn't answer. The look on his face said everything.

Suddenly, the Strigoi moved towards me. Shit, I thought to myself. I tried to move, but like before, my muscles refused to work, and even if they had of obeyed, the intense pain that continued to overtake me wouldn't have let them function correctly anyway. Then, just like that, Dimitri pulled him back. "You are _not_ going to touch her! I won't allow it!" he growled at his father, as he pushed him away from me. His father snarled at him, "Oh, I'll touch her!" he spat back, "After I rip your head from your spine, I'll touch her. I'll do more than that. I'll _feed_, I'll _play_, I'll use her for what she is: _A blood whore_. And I'll—". Suddenly, he stopped in mid sentence. It look me a moment to work out why. The Strigoi was staring at his son. Upon hearing his father talk about his horrific plans for me, Dimitri's entire posture had changed. He'd gone stiff, he looked at least a foot taller somehow – that was on top of his already extreme height. And, the look on his face, I don't think I'd ever seen him look so angry, so enraged. His expression was far scarier than it had been when he'd threatened Victor; it was even scarier than it had been when he'd been a Strigoi. It was the sort of expression any sensible person would back down from. It was the sort of expression that said, "Too far, dude. Any last words?". And, I've got to be honest; I was glad that I wasn't standing where his father was right now. Dimitri practically flew at his father. I don't even think the Strigoi saw him coming. He began to pull powerfully accurate punches and kicks from all angles, and the Strigoi could do nothing to stop him. I smiled. My Russian badass god was back. And boy was he pissed.

I watched father and son battle it out _again_, as a weird sensation began to creep over me. My entire body started to sort of tingle, like I was getting a major case of the pins and needles. I felt myself beginning to tremble more violently; my breathing was beginning to rattle, and the pain in my head and in my stomach was increasing. _And_ on top of that, the dizziness was back, this time with a vengeance, which seemed to blur my vision even more. Everything hurt so much, that I couldn't tell where one burst of pain ended and the next began. It was beginning to feel unbearable. I desperately wanted to move, but I couldn't, I felt like I was frozen to the spot. Once again I started to panic. I'd leant enough in school to know what was happening to me. I was loosing blood; and it was more than likely that I had some sort of internal damage. I turned back to watch Dimitri, and I was pleased to see that he seemed to have the upper hand in this fight now. Trying to take depth breaths, I resigned to the fact that I was a-goner. Don't get me wrong I didn't want to die. Not now, not like this. But I knew it was too late for me. To survive, I needed medical help – or better yet, Lissa, like five minutes ago. But, if Dimitri survived this, well, I was happy with that. I was happy to know that the man I loved would be alive and well. _If_ he survived this. In that moment, I prayed to god that he would.

Then, I saw it. I saw a flash of silver in Dimitri's hand, and the next thing I knew, the Strigoi cried out in pain. Dimitri had struck his heart with my silver stake. I hadn't even seen him pick it up. Neither, it seemed had his father. I don't think there were words to describe the relief that shot though me. Dimitri had done it. He'd won. And, just like I'd seen him do with Natalie, he yanked the weapon from his father's chest, and the Strigoi fell to the ground. For a few moments, he twitched, then he lay motionless. He was dead. Dimitri sighed, I think with relief, as he stared down at his father. I wondered what was going though his mind. This wasn't just any Strigoi he'd killed. He'd killed on a personal level. He'd killed his own father. Okay, once Dimitri senior had been turned, he was technically no longer Dimitri's father, he was the enemy. But, still, I knew from experience, no matter what you are told, seeing someone you know as a Strigoi, well, killing them is not as black and white as you are made think.

I watched as Dimitri turned away from his father. He dropped the stake, and then he was suddenly by my side. "Roza…" he said, dropping to his knees. He was out of breath from the fight, and looked worried as he pulled me into his arms, cradling me gently. "Hey Comrade…" I breathed, as I looked up into his face. He looked a little worse for ware. He had a bloody lip, a gash on his cheek and above his right eye, and I was sure he'd be supporting a wicked back eye tomorrow. He caught sight of my bloody neck, he studied it for a moment, then turned back to face me. "You kicked his ass. You okay?" I asked him, my voice becoming more rattle-ly with each word. Dimitri lightly shook his head, "Let's focus on you right now" he replied. "Me?" I answered, "I don't think I'm doing so good…". Dimitri didn't reply to that. I knew why. It was because he knew I wasn't wrong. After a moment he spoke again, "Rose, I need to see your wound. Let me see". I moved my hands away from my stomach – which were now a little bloody – so he could examine it. All Guardians knew a little first aid; it was part of our training, and I wouldn't be surprised if Dimitri knew more than most. As he looked over it, he swore to himself in Russian. And he'd paled, if possible, even more. "It's bad, right?" I said weakly. He looked up at me, but said nothing. He didn't need to, his face confirmed it was as bad as I thought; it was as bad as it felt.

I shivered in his arms, "It's cold…" I told him. "You're going into shock" he said quietly. He took off his sweater, revealing a t-shirt, and wrapped it around me. "Shock? Oh. That's not good, is it?" I answered. He ignored my words. "Rose, we need to get you to the court's clinic. You need medical attention" he told me. No kidding. I thought to myself. Although, in all honesty, I was feeling beyond that now. It was too late. He was just about to scoop me up into his arms when I spoke, stalling him, "I'm sorry". He stopped dead, then turned to face me. "For what?" he asked. I swallowed, fighting the dizziness. "For what I said at the house… I'm sorry…". Dimitri gave me a sympathetic smile, and shook his head slightly, "Oh, Roza" he said, "That doesn't matter". He was wrong. It did matter. It mattered to me. And I told him that, "It matters to me". I felt myself tearing up. Oh great. Just what I wanted. I took a depth breath, fighting to get my words out, "I was angry… but… I knew you were… just doing what you thought was best...". Dimitri lightly stroked my hair, "Shhh. It doesn't matter…" he said, his voice wavering as he spoke. "I'm still sorry" I told him. He shook his again, "Roza, it's forgotten. Okay?". I nodded, well, I tried to. "Okay…" I answered.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to fight my blurring vision as well as my tears. "I didn't want to go… without telling you…" I breathed. "Go?" he questioned, pulling a confused frown. "Go whe—" he suddenly understood what I meant. He gave me determined look, but his voice betrayed it. He spoke in a hollow and frightened tone, "No! Roza, you're not going anywhere. I won't let you". I tried to smile at him, I'm not sure if I managed it, "I don't think either of us has a choice here…" I whispered. My breathing was now fast becoming extremely laboured. The world started to darken a little, and my eyelids felt heavy. "Rose. Roza, open you're eyes. Please" he begged. I did. His voice seemed to prompt me back to life a little. "We need to get you to the clinic. _Now_" he said, desperately. I shook my head. There was no point. The courts clinic was on the other side of campus. I was pretty sure he'd never get me there in time. "Too far…" I muttered.

Before he could argue with me, I spoke again. If I was going to die - and I was, I pretty much accepted this now - I needed one last thing from him. "Dimitri," I breathed, my own voice now sounding sleepy, "Promise me something? Promise me… you'll look out for her… you'll protect her… No matter what. Lissa". The love of my life shook his head. "No…" he answered. His voice cracked as he spoke, "No. I won't promise you that, Roza. Because you'll be here to protect her _yourself_. You're going to be _fine_". I mentally sighed. He was in denial. I really wasn't "going to be fine". I knew I wasn't. Dimitri couldn't feel what I was feeling. I knew this was it, this was the end. And how did I know that? Simple. I didn't hurt anymore. I was beyond pain. I was numb. This, I thought, was what it felt like in your last moment on earth. A weird, peaceful sort of feeling began to consume me, and once again, the world grew darker. Darker than before.

However, yet again, I was prompted back to life a little, by Dimitri's voice. "Rose... Rose, stay with me. You have to stay awake… please…. _Stay awake. Stay with me_". I squinted up at him, trying to focus on his face, on those deep brown eyes, on that gorgeous brown hair, which sort of framed his face. "I'll… try…." I told him, breathlessly. My words were true. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I wanted to spend the so many more years with Dimitri and Lissa. But if I had to die, if my time was up, then, when it happened, when I drew my last breath, I wanted to be in the arms of the man I loved. I wanted him to be the last thing that I saw in this world, so when I moved on to wherever the hell it was people went when they died, I'd remember him forever. Dimitri turned away from me, and to my surprise – and my now oddly sensitive ears, he started to yell for help. "Dimitri…" I breathed. His attention snapped back to me, "You know… I love you… right?" I said. This time my own voice creaked as I fought to get the words out. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Dimitri nodded, wiping them away gently, fighting his own tears. His voice broke as he answered me, "I know. I know you do, Roza". I smiled at him. If he knew that, then everything was okay. "I love you too. More than I could ever tell you" he added. My heart skipped a beat. I felt my eyelids droop again, they seemed heavier than before. And the darkness began to threaten me once again, this time pulling me further into the black.

"Roza. Stay with me" I heard Dimitri say. However this time, his voice didn't have the effect that he wanted, I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't come back to him. He yelled for help once again, then turned his attention back to me, "Come on, Rose. Don't you leave me" I heard him say. This time, he sounded as if he was crying. If I could open my eyes, I was sure I would see his tears. "Stay with me. Stay with me, Roza, _please_…" he begged frantically. He sounded desperate. So, so desperate. I wanted to stay with him. God, I wanted nothing else. But I couldn't, the darkness was wrapping itself tighter and tighter around me with every second that passed. I heard Dimitri yell for help once again. Then, I thought I heard a few pairs of footsteps as the darkness finally took its hold.

End of Part Eleven! Once again, I'm so sorry it took so long to write.

Okay, so this ISN'T the end. THERE IS **ONE** LAST CHAPTER! _But_, the question is, will Rose survive? Or will she leave those she loves behind? It could go either way, and you'll have to wait for the final chapter to find out! (Which won't take me as long to write, don't worry). Yep, another cliffhanger. Stay tuned to guys!


	13. Tomorrow

**VAMPIRE ACADEMY: TOMORROW  
**"Shaken to the core, I could only stare at him. I died? _Again?_"

Thanks for all of the reviews you guys have given to me on this story. They really do mean a lot, and they have helped me tremendously! Please continue to review! Thank you!

And so here we are, I present to you, "Tomorrow" the final chapter of "Vampire Academy: Of What's To Come". This, for now concludes the story. You guys are lucky, I had intended this chapter to be roughly just over 5000 words, but small scenes transformed in to larger ones, so now you get over 8000 words (which is why it took me a little longer than I had intended). I hope you've enjoyed my little take on the VA-universe. I hope I have covered all the questions you may have had throughout this story, and I hope you enjoy this final part.

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THE CONSTANT SOUND OF SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL machine began to ring in my ears. Beep… Beep… Beep. Beep... Beep… Beep. It was sort of distant at first, but it soon began to grow louder and louder. My eyes flickered open, and I found myself staring up at large white ceiling tiles. They seemed vaguely familiar. That beeping sound continued to annoyingly ring in my ears. What ever it was, it was close by. "Rose?" came a questioning quiet voice. I knew that voice, I'd know it anywhere. I turned my head to face it, and my eyes met Dimitri's dark brown ones.

I realised I was lying in a bed, and he was sat in an uncomfortable looking chair next to it. He was looking at me with an expression somewhere between anxious and hopeful. "Hey…" I crocked out, attempting to give him a smile. I'm not sure if I managed it. Ugh, my voiced sounded terrible. Dimitri momentarily closed his eyes, and gave a slight sigh, "Thank god…" he breathed, seemingly relieved about something. He shifted a little closer to me, and he gave my hand a slight squeeze - which was when I suddenly realised he was holding it. After a few more moments, I dragged my eyes away from him and glanced around at my surroundings. "Where… where am I?" I asked him, my voice still sounding croaky. Dimitri lent forwards, leaning his elbows on the bed. He placed his other hand over mine, so he was holding my hand between the two of his. "You're okay. You're in the Courts' clinic" he told me softly. Ah. I suddenly understood why those white tiles looked so damn familiar. I'd been in my fair share of hospitals – what with all the injuries I'd sustained over the years, and so I'd been used to waking up with a view of hospital ceilings. This, however, was my first time in the Royal Courts clinic.

"Do you remember what happened?" was Dimitri's next question. He once again spoke in a soft quiet voice. I frowned. Did I? Did I know why I was here? I was about to tell him No. No, I had no idea why I was laying in a hospital bed. But then, in a split second, it all came rushing back: Alberta. The fight in my room. Dimitri's father. Getting stabbed. Dimitri fighting his father. Dimitri holding me in his arms. "Yeah…" I told him, "Yeah, I remember". As I spoke, more memories flooded into my mind, more _detailed_ memories. I remembered the look on Dimitri's face as he'd held me close to him, I remembered his words, he'd begged me to stay with him. He'd sounded so frantic, so desperate. I remembered the pain I was in, god, so, so much pain. Then there wasn't any. At all. I was numb. Then I remembered thinking that I was dying. And the expression on Dimitri's face seemed to confirm that I wasn't wrong. Well, yay me. I'd survived. Again. "I'm not dead" I suddenly blurted out. More to myself than Dimitri, I think. He gave me another slight smile, "No Roza, you're not dead". I frowned at him, "Not that I'm not pleased about that, because, I am. But… why am I not dead?" I asked. He glanced over his shoulder then turned back to me, "Lissa" he simply said.

Lissa. Well, that made sense. "She healed me" I said. It was more of a statement than a question. And once again, I'd been confirming to myself, more than asking Dimitri. He nodded anyway. Curious to what Dimitri had been glancing at a moment ago; I craned my neck, focusing on what lay behind him. There, on a couch sat Lissa, Christian and Adrian. The three of them sound asleep. Lissa was curled up to her boyfriend, who was sleeping sitting upright, looking very uncomfortable, his head leant against hers. Next to them sat Adrian. He was also sleeping sitting upright, but he had his feet propped up on some sort of cabinet. He looked a little comfier than Christian, although, not by much. I turned back to Dimitri, "What are they all doing here?". "They were worried" he answered quietly. One of his hands let go of mine, and moved it up to the top of my head. He rested it there and gently began to stroke my hair with his thumb. "You… you were pretty bad when we brought you in, Rose" he continued on, in that same tone, "For a while…" he pulled a pained expression. It was like this was hard for him to talk about, "For a while we thought you weren't going to make it. Then Lissa came". I swallowed. "Oh…" was all I could mange to say.

So, that's why I was alive. And that's why I no longer hurt. Once again, I began to glace around at my surroundings. I was in a small patient's room. It was much like the rooms at the Academy's clinic. It was clean, very white and sterile looking. Apart from my bed, the room was occupied by the couch, which my friends slept on, a couple of chairs, a table, a filing cabinet, a small sink, and some medical machines. You know, the usual stuff you'd expect to find. A medium sized window lined a side wall. The blinds were drawn, but I could tell that daylight was beginning to creep upon us. Man, I must have been out for a while. Turning to face one of the machines that was positioned next to my bed – the one that was making all that noise - I realised that I was hooked up to it. It was monitoring my heart rate. Wow, I thought to myself, I must have been pretty bad if they'd hooked me up to _that_.

I turned my attention back to Dimitri again – who's eyes had never left me - and for the first time, I noticed how beat up he looked. He had a few cuts to his face, a swollen lip, and a black eye. I suspected he had other minor injuries too. With my free hand, I reached up, and held it to the side of his face. "Lissa couldn't heal to you too?" I asked him quietly, a little confused as to why she hadn't. Maybe he'd refused? That wouldn't have surprised me. After a moment, Dimitri answered, "She used a lot of her magic. There was a lot she needed to heal" he told me, "Like I said, you were pretty bad when we brought you in". I knew what he was saying. After healing me, Lissa didn't have the strength to heal him. Seeing her in a weakened state, I knew there was no way Dimitri would have asked her to heal him, no mater what injuries he'd suffered. "But I'm fine" he carried on, with a slight shake of his head, "You don't need to worry about me". Yeah, right. Never going to happen. Worrying about somebody kind of comes hand in hand with that whole loving them thing. "And, Lissa—", "She's fine" Dimitri answered, "She's tired, but she's fine". Oh this man knew me so well. He knew I'd want to know how she was after her using her magic. I gave him a small smile. "Good. It's good that you're both good" I muttered, still sounding sleepy. Dimitri retuned my smile as he continued to stroke my hair.

I let a few quiet moments pass, then I asked, "How did you find me?". Dimitri didn't say anything right away, but after a few moments answered my question. He told me that after the fight we'd had, that against his better judgement, he couldn't leave it like that between us. He'd gone looking for me, but he'd had no idea which part of the Court's campus I was wondering. He'd bumped into a Guardian – the one who'd died at the hands of Dimitri senior – and asked him if he'd seen me. He'd said no, but just then they'd both heard my screams. Then, Guardian instinct taking over the both of them, they'd come to my rescue. He finished his tale and silence fell between us. But it was the nice, comfortable silence. We didn't need any words; we were both just content to be in each others presence, happy that we were both safe.

We stayed like that for a while, just looking at each other. As I looked into those wonderful dark brown eyes, I wondered what was going though Dimitri's mind. He had that look, that look that told me he was thinking about something, that he was choosing his words. After a few more moments he spoke, "I'm so sorry, Roza. For what he did to you" he said softly, looking pained. Ah, so that was what was on his mind. His father. "You don't have to be" I told him, "It wasn't your fault". From the look on his face, I hadn't convinced him. He was blaming himself for what had happened to me. "_It wasn't your fault_" I repeated, this time more firmly. "You father put me in here, Dimitri. _Not_ you" I told him. Dimitri swallowed. "You need to rest" he told me, changing the subject. "Dimitri—" I began, still trying to convince him, but he cut me off, "_Rest_. We'll talk about it later" he told me softly. I pulled a face. I wasn't happy that he was blaming himself for this mess. This was not his fault. But, right now, as much as I wanted to, I didn't have the energy to argue about it. Later though. Later I would convince him. "Sleep" he told me, giving my hand a light squeeze, "I'll be right here". I sighed. Sleep sounded like such a wonderful idea right now. So I let my eyelids close, knowing that the man I loved would be watching over me. I liked the idea of that. I felt Dimitri lightly kiss the top of my head, "I love you, Roza" he told me. "Yeah" I mumbled, "I'm pretty crazy about you too, Comrade…". I heard him laugh softly at that, as sleep overtook me.

I woke some hours later to find Lissa sitting in the chair were Dimitri had sat. My best friend saw my eyes open and moved a little closer to me. "Hey" she greeted with a huge smile. Through the bond, feelings of her relief flooded into me. "Hi…" I replied. My voice sounded a little sleepy, but I was glad to hear it no longer had that croaky sound to it. "How are you feeling?" Lissa asked me. I pulled myself up into a sitting position – noticing that I was no longer connected up to any machines, "Better, thanks" I replied. "And also, _alive_. Thanks to you" I added with a smile. "Well, what are best friends for?" answered Lissa, as she helped me to position my pillows so I could lean up against them. I glanced around the room, "Where are the guys?" I asked, feeling a little abandoned. "Christian and Adrian wanted to… stretch their legs" answered Lissa. I got that. They were bored sitting here waiting for me to wake up. "And, the love of my life?" I asked. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was Dimitri telling me he'd 'be right here'. But he wasn't. I hoped _he_ wasn't bored of me too. Lissa smiled at my choice of phrase, "He had to give his report on what happened with you and his father". "Oh" I answered, "I guess you guys know what happened, huh? Dimitri told you?". Lissa nodded.

Silence feel between us for a few moments, then suddenly I felt a rush of strong emotions from Lissa. She'd been holding back on me, but she couldn't any longer. She grabbed my hand, "God, Rose! Don't _ever_ to that to me again!" she practically shouted, "Do you know how scared I was?! Seeing you like that?!". Seeing me like what? I thought to myself. "And, Dimitri…." She continued on. She shook her head, "I've never seen him so… out of control". I swallowed, "Out… out of control how?" I asked, a knot forming in my chest. "He was so worried. So desperately worried. He thought he was going to loose you" she breathed, "We all did". My best friend looked pained as she spoke. I swallowed, feeling awful for what I'd put them all through. Before I had the chance to apologize, Lissa launched into her tale of what had happened.

Basically just after I'd passed out, a group of Guardian's, including Alberta, had found us – hearing Dimitri's shouts for help I assume - and had rushed me across campus to the courts clinic. Apparently, Lissa said she'd been told that Dimitri was a mess. Covered in my blood, three Guardians had to pry him away from me and remove him from the room, so the doctors could attend to me. I tried to imagine Dimitri like that. I couldn't. He'd rushed me to the Academy clinic's twice since I'd known him, and yes, he'd been worried, but he'd still remained in control. So what was so different this time? Lissa carried on with her tale. She told me that she was called to the clinic (Christian and Adrian had come with her) and when she arrived, Dimitri wasn't in much better shape. Two Guardians were blocking him from entering the room. Lissa told me that he wasn't making much sense as he explained to her what had happened, but she got the gist of it. "I think he was still in shock" she said. She told me that he'd begged her to help me as the doctors were having a hard time stabilizing my condition. I was loosing too much blood as well as bleeding internally - in several places. "Not that I needed to be asked twice to help you" she'd added. Grabbing Adrian's hand, she said she'd pulled him into the room after her, figuring that he might be able to help somehow.

As normal, when Lissa worked her healing magic, it'd taken just moments, she'd healed as much as she could; however, I wasn't out of the woods yet, she'd explained. I had still lost a hell of a lot of blood - both from being half drained of it from Dimitri's father, and it leaking out from my major stomach wound – so, she told me, the doctors began to transfuse blood into me as fast as possible. "It was touch and go for a while. I mean, yeah, I healed you" she explained, "but you can still… die… from blood loss. I couldn't heal that". I didn't say anything, I just listened. I could feel that this was hard for her to talk about. Remembering me lying there, so pale and sick… well, she didn't want to see those images in her head, yet she couldn't move past them. Once again, I felt so bad for putting her through that. "When things had calmed down a bit," she relayed, "they let Dimitri and Christian in". She gave me a smile, "Dimitri wouldn't move from your bedside". She'd carried on to say that he wouldn't move from that chair for anything. "Not even when Guardian officials arrived to ask for his report. He told them no. He refused to go with them. He said they'd get his report when he knew you were going to be okay". I had to smile at that; Dimitri directly refusing an order, defying his duty. Wow. That, I would have paid a lot of money to see.

Lissa finished her story and leaned back into the chair, looking a little tired, as well as a little pale. I was actually worried. I thought about mentioning it, but I figured it was probably the stress of nearly loosing her best friend. And, now that she knew I was fine, that stress would fade. "I'm sorry…" I muttered, "I really am, Liss". I leaned forward to give her a hug, which she gladly retuned. She sighed, "We all love you, you know" she told me. "Yeah. I know" I replied. Through the bond, I could feel floods of relief flowing though my best friend. It seemed to be now only just he hitting her that I was going to be okay. Which made me feel even worse for what I'd put her through. We stayed in each others embrace for a few more moments before braking apart. I pulled back and gave her a smile, "I love you guys too" I told her. She returned the smile.

Just then, the door to my room opened, my heart gave a little tug. Dimitri was back. Only, when I looked up, I saw Christian enter, followed by Adrian. Damn, I thought to myself, where hell was my sexy Russian? Christian gave me one of his famous, grins as he walked through the threshold. "She's finally awake!" he said, in a mock-surprise tone. "She is" I replied with a sarcastic smile and a pointed stare. Christian sat down on the end of my bed as Adrian closed the door. I could the smell alcohol and cloves radiating off of the older Royal from where I sat, and knew exactly what he'd been up to. Our eyes met for a second before he slumped down on the couch, but neither of us said a word. He looked like he wanted to say something, but remained silent; we hadn't spoken to each since our fight. I didn't even know at this point if we were still friends. He was here, I reasoned, because he cared about me, a lot. Loved me, in fact. It was for that reason that I wondered if we'd ever truly be able to retain any sort of friendship. I guess speaking to each other would help with that. But I didn't know if that would be happening any time soon. Anger boiled inside of me. I hated fighting with my friends. And I hated this love-triangle that Adrian, Dimitri and I seemed to be stuck in.

Christian brought me out of my thoughts, "Geez, Rose" he grinned, shaking his head slightly, "What is it with you and hospitals? They should give you some sort of club card. Or at the very least, a loyalty customers discount". I scowled at him, "Watch it, Ozera. I can still kick your ass from this bed". My words were met by a chuckle. He then turned his attention to his girlfriend, "You ready?" he asked her. Lissa shook her head. Christian gave a frustrated sigh, "Come on, Liss. We talked about this. Rose is fine. So let's go". Confused, I looked from Lissa to Christen and back to Lissa, "Go? Go where? What's going on?" I asked my best friend. However, it was Christian who answered. He seemed a little pissed, "To the feeders" he told me, "Lissa hasn't had any blood since she healed you". My mouth dropped open. So, that's why she looked so pale. I turned to my best friend, "Lissa!" I chastised, "You used a hell of a lot of magic. _You need blood_. Why haven't you gone yet?". Lissa sighed, "I wanted to stay here until I knew you were going to be okay". Good god, she was as bad as Dimitri. "And now she _is_ okay" said Christian, "So come _on_" he added. "He's right" I told her, "I'm fine. So go" I said, pointing to the door. Lissa shook her head again. "No. I promised Dimitri someone would stay here with you until he got back". I was beginning to feel as frustrated with my best friend, as her boyfriend looked. "Lissa" I said firmly, "I'm _fine_. What do you think is going to happen? I'm going to fall out of bed, hit my head and knock myself unconscious?". From the look on Lissa's face, that's exactly what she thought might happen.

I let out a sigh. "Lissa—" I began, but to my surprise, Adrian cut me off, "I'll stay" he announced. Everyone in the room turned to face him. "I'll stay with Rose". Okay, I'll be honest, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of being alone with Adrian right now, but, if it meant giving Lissa peace of mind, and getting her to go to the feeders, then, I'd deal. I turned back to my best friend, and put of one of my fake smiles, "See?" I told her, "Adrian will say. I am in no danger". She seemed okay with that, "Fine. But, I won't be long, okay?". I gave her a nod. "Now go. Get yourself to the feeder" I said firmly, pointing towards the door. "Before you pass out on me" I added.

Finally Christian was able to drag her away, leaving Adrian and I alone. "Well," he said, "I guess it's just us". Noting that this was the first time he'd spoken to me since our fight - three days ago, I tried to reply as calmly as I could, I was still pissed at him for acting so childish. My words came out a little more stiffly than I had intended, "Looks that way". An awkward and uncomfortable silence fell between us. It lasted almost a full minute before Adrian broke it, "Rose…" he said, "I need to talk to you". Oh god, what was coming _now?_ Swallowing, I forced myself to look at him, but remained silent. He glanced at me for a moment or two, I think wondering if it was safe to get his words out. Maybe he was worried I'd blow up at him. "Please?" he asked. I sighed. Fine. Fine I'd let him talk. I nodded.

He got up and slipped into the chair next to my bed. I saw him eye my hands. I think the thought of taking one of them in his was crossing his mind. He looked like he wanted too, but in the end, he decided against it. "You were right. I had no right to lay my feelings out on you like that. It was wrong". Wow. I wasn't expecting an apology. I was just about to say that I'd accept it, the thoughts had formed, but in true Rose Heathway style, I opened my mouth before I'd really thought about what I was saying, "You're damn right it was". He looked hurt. _Damnit, Rose!_ I chastised myself. "I'm sorry, okay?" he said, putting as much feeling into those words as he could. He really meant it. He _was_ sorry. Before I had the chance to say anything else, he continued, "Seeing you like that last night, so pale… and… all that blood…". He suddenly looked freaked out and his voice had reduced to almost a whisper. "God, Rose, for a moment, we all thought we'd lost you…". I swallowed. Lissa had said the same thing. I let him carry on, unsure what to say to that. His voice returned to normal, "And, you know, it made me realize a few things". He took a depth breath, like it was hard for him to get his words out, "I know you love Belikov, and he's just as crazy about you. You just have to see you guys together for a second to realise that". My mouth dropped open at Adrian's admission. I promptly closed it. Adrian wasn't being sarcastic in his words, he wasn't angry; it was like, he was just finally accepting what he knew was right in front of him.

He carried on, "I asked you for a shot, and you gave me one. But, I always knew it was him you loved. I knew it when we first met, I knew it when I asked you out, and I knew it when we were dating" he said slowly, "You tried to love me like you loved him, I know that—". I cut him off, "Adrian—". I was starting to feel very bad here. Accepting that I loved and wanted to be with Dimitri was one thing, but I didn't expect him to explain himself. "No. Let me say this" he said firmly. "After everything the two of you have been through, you deserve to be happy. I _want_ you to be happy". Wow. "What you said the other night, about moving out?" he shook his head, "Don't. Because, Rose, I'd rather have you in my life as a _friend_, than not in my life at all" Oh my god, I couldn't believe this. Adrian had done a complete one-eighty. "Yeah, still I love you. Probably always will. But, as long as I have your friendship, I can deal. Just give me a little time, okay?". Astounded, I nodded, not knowing what the hell to say to that. This guy that loved me, had put his own feelings aside and let me go. And, it must be hurting him like hell to do this. If the roles had been reversed, if it had been me… well, I wasn't able to let Dimitri go, was I? I think this might have been the most selfless thing that Adrian Ivashkov had ever done. And, man, was I not only proud of him, but grateful too. Yes, I loved Adrian, but as I told him, I loved him like a friend, a brother even. There'd always be a special place for him in my heart.

Adrian spoke again, bringing me out of my thoughts, "Friends?" he asked in a hopeful voice. "Friends" I agreed, with a nod, giving him a small smile. He returned the smile, then asked, "So… can I get a hug?". I rolled my eyes, typical Adrian. "Don't push it, Ivashkov" I told him. He seemed to accept that, thinking he'd gone too far. But after a moment, I reached out to him for a hug. Which, he accepted with a huge smile. I sighed. It was great to have my friend back. We parted. "You're such a douche" I told him with a playful smile. He laughed.

Dimitri arrived back soon after that, and Lissa and Christian arrived a few moments later – Lissa looking a hundred percent better for receiving blood. For the rest of the day, the five of us hung out in my room. It was like the four of them couldn't bear to be apart from me – especially Dimitri. And, I was beginning to understand just how much I had scared the shit out of them. It was late afternoon, when Adrian declared that he needed a drink – he mumbled something about the stress I'd put him though in the last twelve hours. I rolled my eyes at him, and he left. Christian told us he had to meet Mia and a few other Moroi to 'discuss' magic. I had a feeling that them talking about it would be far from what they'd be up to. He'd be teaching them how to use their element offensively; as he'd been doing for a while now. Both Lissa and I supported their little group, but we were also both worried about them. And, we'd voiced those worries to our friends. If they got caught, they'd been in a hell of a lot of trouble. Moroi using magic offensively - even if only used against the Strigoi - was strictly forbidden. "What are rules for, if not to be broken?" Christian had shrugged. I'd just shook my head at him, fully aware that I could not disagree with that. Hell, the amount of rules I'd broken in the last three years alone, could well be some kind of record.

So, for the next couple of hours, it had just been me, the man I loved and my best friend. Which was awesome. Hanging out with the two people I loved most in this world always made me feel so lucky. After some convincing on my part, Dimitri had allowed Lissa to heal him. He'd refused at first, assuring me that he was fine, that he'd heal. But I wasn't about to accept that. I saw the way he moved. He was in pain. He didn't make it obvious; in fact, he went out of his way to ignore the majority of it. But, he wasn't fooling me, I saw the odd twitch and flinch that he momentary forgot to hide. I'd asked him why he didn't want Lissa to heal him, and he'd said that he didn't want any unnecessary Spirit's darkness seeping into me. He didn't want it hurting me. I'd told him that the only thing hurting me right now was watching the man that I loved suffer, and looking like he'd been through ten rounds with a heavy weight boxer. Eventually he'd caved, and Lissa had quickly worked her magic.

Late evening, the doctor agreed that I could finally go home. My vitals were now normal, so, really they had no reason to keep me. Well, that's how I saw it anyway. We'd not been home ten minutes when Dimitri started to fuss over my wellbeing – it was weird – I'd never known Dimitri to fuss over anything. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it, I did, but, I just wasn't the being-fussed-over type. Okay, so I almost died, but now I was fine. End of discussion. I didn't need any after care. "You sure there's nothing I can do for you?" asked Dimitri – for the second time - as he sat down next to me. We were in our room, seated on the edge of the bed. I sighed. Okay, if he was going to fuss, I was going to handle this the best way I knew how; true Rose Hathaway style. "I wouldn't say _that_" I answered playfully, giving him my best seductive smile. I lent forwards and kissed him. Our lips still touching, I shuffled a little closer to him. I broke off the kiss, but made sure my lips only moved half an inch away from his, "There are _lots_ of things you can do for me. Or, uh, to me. If you want" I whispered. Because I knew what his answer would be, I kissed him again before he had the chance to speak. I expected him to break away from this kiss, but he didn't, instead, to my surprise, he kissed me back.

Within moments the kiss grew more intense, more passionate. And god did it feel good. I felt one of Dimitri's hands reach up and slip into my hair, the other slipped round my back. As his hands moved, so did mine. I wrapped my hands round his neck, our lips never leaving each others. The kiss carried on for almost a full minute. Then he broke it off. "Don't stop…" I told him, breathing heavily, wanting much, much more to come of this. Dimitri shook his head, puling back further, "Rose… no". I stared at him, "What? You don't want to?". He sighed, "I do. Of course I do, but… you've just got out of the hospital". I continued to stare. After a moment I found my voice, "And that's relevant _how?_" I asked. He sighed again; this time in exasperation. Looking me in the eye, he said, "Oh, Roza. What am I going to do with you?". I flashed him a smile, "Do you want to hear what I'd _like_ you to do with me?". He actually laughed at that.

"Come on" I groaned, "After all of the serious crap we've been though, you don't want to have some fun?". Dimitri just looked at me, seemingly thinking it over. "The doctor said you need to take it easy. Pace yourself" he told me in a serious tone. "Yeah" I argued, "_Pace myself_. Not come to a screeching halt!". He tried his best to look serious, but I saw the edges of his lip twitch. "You need to rest, Rose". I rolled my eyes and sighed with exaggeration. Since when was making out strenuous? Okay, I had to admit, Dimitri knew me, and yes, he knew if we'd of carried on, we would have flown way passed making out, and moved on to something much more, lets say, productive. I knew he was only looking out for me, but I couldn't shake this feeling of being rejected somehow. Maybe it was my expression – or maybe Dimitri had found a way to read my mind, either way, he reached out and placed his hand on my cheek, "Just for a couple of days. I… I need to make sure that you're okay". He spoke in a soft tone, in almost a whisper. As I looked into his dark brown eyes, I saw something I hadn't expected: worry. Was he really _that_ concerned about me? It suddenly occurred to me, that last night maybe, just maybe, I had scared him a hell of a lot more than he was letting on.

His hand dropped from my cheek, the two us of continued to look at each other, no words spoken between us. After a while I reached out to him, and rested my hands on his shoulders. "Hey" I said softly. "You don't have to look so freaked. What happened last night was… I had a close call, I get that. But, as I keep telling you, thanks to Lissa, I am _fine_. Please trust that I know how I'm feeling". I gave him a small smile to back up my words. "You do trust me, don't you?" I asked him. He sighed, "I trust you, Rose. Of course I do" he answered. "I just… last night was…" he was having trouble getting his words out. He sighed again. Yep, I thought to myself, I _had_ scared him a hell of a lot more than he was letting on. And I felt awful for that. "I thought I was going to lose you…" he said, his tone so quiet that I barely caught his words. "Well, you didn't, okay?" I told him softly, giving his shoulders a slight comforting squeeze, "I'm going to be fine". He didn't respond to that, he just simply held my gaze.

"But hey," I added, trying to lighten the mood, "If I suddenly _do_ pass out, you'll just have to call Lissa. She'll fix me up, and I'll be as right as rain. As good as new". I pulled a huge smile to go along with my joke, which I thought would cheer him up, but, man, was I wrong. He didn't smile back, in fact him expression grew very grim. "Don't do that" he said he said in a hard tone. His expression had turned from grim, to deadly serious. He removed my hands from his shoulders. "Do what?" I asked, a little taken back at him being so worked up. "Don't joke about this, Roza. Not this. Please" he said. The hardness of his tone faded, but the seriousness of it remained. I stared at him. "What's with you? What are you… are you mad?" I asked. "I'm not mad" he said. Like hell, I thought to myself. "You seem mad" I told him. "I'm not mad" he repeated. This time his words came out a little more forceful. "Yes. You _are_" I argued. He sighed. Okay, there was something I was missing here, I knew there was. Yeah, I'd come close to dying last night; dying by the hand of Dimitri's father. That, I knew he was having time dealing with. But, well, I _didn't_ die. And, Dimitri wasn't the type of guy to dwell on what might have happened. Well, at least, he didn't used to be.

"Okay" I told him, shifting a little closer to him, "Talk to me". He closed his eyes for half a second, and then spoke in a calm tone, "I'm not mad at you, Rose. I'm fine". "Really?" I asked incredulously, not believing him in the slightest. "You once told me I was a bad liar. Turns out, I'm not the only one". He sighed. "I'm not mad at you" he repeated. "Maybe not," I answered, "but you're not 'fine' either". He didn't argue with me on that. We sat in silence for almost a minute. I tried again, "Dimitri—", but he cut me off, finally reaching breaking point. "_You died Rose!_" he yelled at me, "_You died in my arms!_". I froze. He carried on, no longer yelling, "It was only for a minute… but you _were_ gone. You stopped breathing. You were _gone_". Shaken to the core, I could only stare at him. I died? _Again?_

Now I understood his weirdness, I understood why I'd scared him so much, and why he'd, as Lissa had put it, been so 'out of control'. He shifted closer to me. I felt him take my hands in his. This time when he spoke, his tone was far from angry, it was almost desperate, "You're right" he told me, "I am mad. But not at you, I'm mad at _myself_. I'm mad that you had to see me die in those caves. I'm mad that you had to mourn me. I'm mad that you had to experience _everything_ that you went though. And, you know why I'm so mad about that? Because, in that minute, in those long, terrifying, sixty seconds, I _knew_. I truly felt what it must have been like for you". I swallowed, I couldn't move; all I could do was listen. He carried on, his voice beginning to crack, "And, I am sorry, Roza" he tightened his grip on my hands a little, "I am so, so sorry for putting you through that… for putting you though everything that I have since then…" he breathed. As I looked into his eyes, I realized just how much he'd been through last night. Not only had he had to pierce his own father's heart with a silver stake, but he'd seen me die. I was impressed that he had held it together for this long. I wasn't sure that if the roles had been reversed, that I could have done. In fact, I was pretty sure, that despite the control I'd learned over the last year, I'd have cracked long before now.

I nearly died last night. And, until now, I had no idea just how close I'd brushed with death, again. But, the reason why I am still here - apart from my best friend healing me – was because of the man sitting right in front me. He stopped a Strigoi from killing me last night. And so there was no way I was going to let him feel sorry for himself. "Don't be sorry" I told him, gently. "Please, don't be sorry". He swallowed, but said nothing, so I continued on, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. What happened in those caves… neither of us had any control over that. We were doing our job, and it went wrong". I gave him a small comforting smile, "You know, a wise, and _very_ sexy Russian once told me, that we can't live our lives worrying about the bad things. Or trying to fix what we've done in the past. That's done, it's finished. We have to focus on the now. We have to move forwards". Okay, that wasn't exactly what he'd said, but it was close enough. "And," I added, "Don't you think it's about time he took some of his own advice?". He just looked at me. And, god, at that moment, I would have given anything to know what was going though his mind. Then, I got a smallest of small smiles out of him. Score one for Hathaway! "Move forwards" he said quietly, with a nod, "Sounds like a good idea". I smiled in agreement.

A week later, I found Dimitri sitting on the bench out in the back yard. He seemed deep in thought. His face bathed in the mid-morning sun only made him look that more gorgeous. "Hey" I said, sitting down next to him. He turned to face me, a slight smile on his face. "What're you doing out here?" I asked. He, like me, should have been in bed, asleep. "I could ask you the same thing" he replied. I just shrugged. I'd woken up and he wasn't there. So, I'd gone looking for him. Thinking about 'waking up', I suddenly realised that I had not had a nightmare a while. Maybe they were fading? Maybe they were nothing more than a major case of PTSD? God, I hope'd so. I turned my attention back to Dimitri, "You didn't answer my question" I said. He didn't say anything for a moment, but then spoke, "Looking at the most beautiful girl in the world. Thinking about how much she means to me. How much I love her". Liar. That wasn't what he was thinking about. But, it was flattery, and _that_ would get him everywhere. I think I actually blushed. "Well," I replied with a smile, "She loves you too". He put his arm round me, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence, warming ourselves against the sun. "It's going to be a nice day" I said, more to myself than Dimitri. "Mmm" he muttered in agreement. He'd slipped back into whatever it was that he was thinking about. I sat up at turned to face him, "You want to go for a walk?"

His answer to that was 'yes'. So, fifteen minutes later we were walking, hand in hand, across the Court's campus. Most of the Moroi were asleep, it was almost noon, which meant bed time for them, (and usually us) so the campus was pretty quiet. "Do you remember when we first met?" I asked Dimitri. "Mmm" he answered with a slight nod, "I remember you regarding me as cheap foreign labour". I laughed. Yeah, I too remember saying that. He and the other Guardians had just brought Lissa and me back to the Academy. We were in Headmistress Kirova's office. It had been two years since I'd seen the inside of that room. And, boy, did I so not want to be there. Dimitri glanced at me as we walked, a slight smile playing across his lips, "I hope you have other idea's now, Roza?". I looked up at him, returning his smile, "Of course!" I exclaimed, "Now I regard you as _sexy_ cheap foreign labour". He laughed at that, and shook his head. It was nice to see my humour bounce off of him again. I don't think he'd ever admit to it, but he did enjoy it. I leaned into him as we walked, content to be with the man I loved, on such a sunny day. We, Dhampirs, rarely got to enjoy the sun, as we lived in the Moroi's world, which mostly played out on a nocturnal seclude.

We walked in silence for quite sometime, once again, our hands laced each others. We had no direction in mind; we were just simply putting one foot in front of the other. Dimitri suddenly spoke, half making me jump, "I'm not quitting". I stopped, which meant he too had to stop. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? I needed to be sure, "What?" I asked. "Guardianship. I'm not quitting" he repeated. I was stunned that he'd come his decision on the subject. It wasn't long ago that he'd told me he couldn't fight Strigoi anymore. Of course, that was before he had fought his father, saved me, and seemed to get his fighting mojo back. "Wow. That's…. that's great" I said, finally finding my voice. "That doesn't mean to say, that I'll be going back tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next. I'm still not ready. And, I don't know how long it will be before I am" he told me in an honest, and slight venerable tone. We started to walk again, "That's okay" I told him. Glad that he was even considering returning to the field, "You're still dealing with stuff. I get it". I looked up into his face as I said, "Can I ask, why the change of heart?". Dimitri sighed, "My father, actually". My jaw almost dropped. Okay, that I wasn't expecting. We came to a bench on the sidewalk, and sat.

He saw my surprised look, and continued on, "That night he… almost killed you… Well, I've done a lot of thinking since then". No kidding, I thought to myself. In the last few days, I'd lost count of the amount of time I'd found him sitting lost in thought. I was actually becoming a little concerned. It was almost as if he was drawing back into himself. "What he did to me… having me turned Strigoi…" he sighed, "I've done a lot of terrible things, Rose. A _lot_ of terrible things... The things I did to you—" he stopped himself, unable to continue, as those memories filled his mind. He sighed again. I placed my hand over his, "It's okay, you don't have to explain" I told him gently. He shook his head and swallowed, "No. I need to" he told me. I nodded, and after a moment, he composed himself and carried on, although, he didn't look at me when he spoke; he focused on something across the street, "I have the ability to protect Moroi. It's what I've been trained to do" he said slowly, his tone was very quiet, "It's what I know I should do… and it's what I _need_ to do. I need to make things _right_, Rose. I know I can never bring back those lives that I've taken, but, I can try to prevent any more lives from being lost". I gave him a small smile. He'd been to hell and back, and to come out the other side, thinking this way, well, I was proud of him. After everything he'd been though, he still wanted to be a Guardian. He continued on, his tone now a sad, "I know more than most what Strigoi are capable of. I know, because I've lived it. I know how they think, how they perceive this world, and how they pray on their victims. I know their cruelty, and their violence". He turned to face me. "And, it's for those reasons that I want to keep the people I love safe. I want to keep _you_ safe". I squeezed his hand in a comforting gesture, "We'll keep each other safe" I told him. He gave me a slight nod.

I shifted a little closer to him, and rested my head against his chest. "I'm proud of you" I told him, "How far you've come, in just a few weeks. I know it hasn't been easy on you. And, well, my problems haven't exactly helped any. If it was me… well, I'm not sure I could have been that strong…". "You would have been" he replied, as he closed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me slightly closer to him. I looked up at into his face. "You're strong, Roza. You're _so_ strong. You don't realize how strong you are" he told me gently, "It was your strength that brought me back. It was your strength that got me though this. You are the strongest person I know". I tore my gaze away from him, leaning my head back on his chest. I felt him lean his head against mine. "Really?" I asked, a little surprised by his words. "Really" he confirmed. I slipped my arm around his back, as we sat there in comfortable silence.

My mind ran though what he'd told me. He was going return as a Guardian. Not right now, I knew. And I understood why. But, he was thinking about his future. That was something he hadn't done in a long time. It was strange to think that he'd had this revelation because of his father. Which, I didn't quite understand. Maybe it had something to do with whatever the hell had gone on between the two them. He still hadn't told me what had happened. Numerous times since Dimitri senior's death, I had thought about bringing it up, but I had then decided against it. He'd tell me in his own time, I was sure of that. And, it seemed like something I'd never be able to push him into telling me. But, damn, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know. Oh well, I'd just have to wait it out.

After a while I decided I'd ask him about something else that I had been thinking about lately. And, now that he'd said he would be going back to his day job, it seemed the like right time. "So, what about Lissa?" I said, looking up at him. He looked a little confused, "What about her?" he asked me. I sat up, "Well, you said you're going back to guardianship, at some point. You know she wants you as her Guardian. Even though we're together". Dimitri didn't reply straight away. I could see he was thinking this over, choosing his answer. Finally, he spoke, "The problems we faced in the beginning, of both of us being Lissa's Guardians while in a relationship sill stands, Rose". I sighed, I'd been afraid of that answer. I knew what he was getting at. He'd said this as soon as we had admitted our feelings for each other, all of those months ago. Any Moroi we protected must come first. That was the job. And the two of us working side by side, well, our focus would spill over onto each other, leaving our Moroi open to attack. I knew this. But a selfish part of me wanted it all. It always had. I wanted Dimitri _and_ Lissa, and I wanted us altogether.

"I just don't know if it could work" Dimitri told me. I nodded, pushing my wants aside. Lissa's safety came first, I tried to tell myself. Except, things had changed. Ever since Dimitri had been taken from me, and since I'd got him back, my priorities had shifted. Yes, I wanted to keep Lissa safe, but, after everything I had been though, I knew I couldn't loose Dimitri again either. And, it was because of that, that I felt like needed to be close to him, as much as I could. The thought of not seeing him because he might be working somewhere else in court for most of the day, well, honestly, that scared me. I knew every moment that he wasn't with me; I'd be worrying about him. Worrying about his safety. Worrying that he might be facing off with some Strigoi. I felt awful thinking this way, because, it wasn't how I'd been raised. _Only they matter_. The Moroi were supposed to be the focus of a Guardian's life. No exceptions. "But," carried on Dimitri, bringing me out of my thoughts, "It's not a 'no'. I'll think about it". I gave him a smile, trying my best not to show him how much those words had given me a huge dose of hope. Maybe I would get it all? There was also a strong possibility that I wouldn't. But, well, I'd have to deal with that when time came. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you. You know that, right?" I asked him. "I know" he answered with a nod. I lent my head on his chest again, snuggling closer into him. He planted a soft kiss on my forehead, and then once again rested his head against mine. Our free hands found each others and laced together. My words were true. Whatever he did deicide, I would support him. I'd deal with the outcome. Besides, he wouldn't be going back anytime soon. He was still recovering with everything that had happened to him. I could enjoy him being with me all day, everyday. At least, until Lissa and I hit College in the fall. Collage, oh man, that was likely to be yet another fun fill adventure. And, boy, I was so ready for that.

THE END.

* * *

Well, I REALLY hope you enjoyed this story. This was my first fiction in the Vampire Academy Universe. I'd love to hear what you all thought, not only for this chapter, but also the entire story in general.

And, before you ask, No, I'm afraid there will NO SEQUEL for this. This story has run its course. It was planned from start to end (with a hell of a lot more added in-between, lol!). However, do not worry. I DO have others planned.

Yep. That's right. I have other stories planned. Right now, I have three other VA ideas that are floating around in my head, and which I've made a few notes to. I do not know as of yet what idea I am going to run with first. Planning still needs to be done. And that will begin soon. I promise.

Planning will be done over the next couple of weeks. BUT, I'm sorry, I will not be writing anything until AFTER I have read "Spirit Bound". Which, comes out May 18th. I want to concentrate on reading the real VA, which I've been waiting so long for (well, it sure seems like a long time!). However, after I have finished the book (and have got over the shocks that no doubt will come, lol) I will begin writing again. So, look for something from me in the last week in may / first week in June. I hope you can understand why I'm taking a short break.

And lastly: - Guys, I need a favour from YOU.

When you leave feedback for this last chapter, please can I ask that on the end of your comments, you tell me what you liked best about this story, the action, the emotional stuff, the love scenes, the fights, etc etc. Also, if you like, you are welcome to add what you didn't like. This will help me immensely with my next story. I want to know what YOU guys want to read from me next!

One final word from me: THANK YOU to each and every one of you who commented on my story! I am both stunned and grateful that I received over 200 reviews on my first VA fiction! As a fanfic-author, I can't tell you how much they meant to me. I write because I enjoy writing, BUT I also write for YOU guys, and I'm so glad you like my stuff.

So, until the next story, take care! (And sorry for the long ramble!)


	14. Thank You!

**VAMPIRE ****ACADEMY****: AUTHERS NOTE/THANK YOU**

"Hey Guys, Just a quick Authors note of thanks, really."

After nearly five months since the last chapter was posted, and the story was completed, I'm STILL getting awesome reviews from this. I just really wanted to thank each and every one of you who has left me a review or message. They really do mean a lot to me, so THANK YOU!

I've received a few messages over the last few months asking if I'll be writing another VA fiction – as I know I said that I would. Well, at the moment I have no plans to unfortunately, this is because I am currently working on my own paranormal YA Novel series, which I am going to try and get published.

I'm also waiting on the last VA book, (not long now!). Depending on the ending of the Vampire Academy Series, I may write another short story, if I'm not to busy with my own series.

I did however, for those who haven't seen, write a One-Shot VA story titled "VA: Rose & Dimitri One Shot", which can be found in my profile. So, feel free to check that out. I'd love to hear your comments on that.

Thanks again to everyone who read and commented on this story. I think speak for other writers on here when I say every review is _very much appreciated_.


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